People Throw Rocks At Things That Shine
by twilight37
Summary: My name is Bella Swan. I'm seventeen years old, and I want to have a baby.
1. Prologue

_Prologue_

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><p>People are judgmental. People are mean. People speak cruel words. People talk behind your back. People never understand.<p>

Nobody understands me, and nobody understands what I want.

I'm seventeen years old. I'm halfway through my junior year of high school, and I'm already ranked number one in my class, which means the title of Valedictorian is _mine_. I'm taking al honors and AP classes, and have literally thrown myself into extra-curricular activities, like National Honors Society, Beta Club, Newspaper, and Yearbook. To top it all off, I have the most wonderful boyfriend in the world, who I've been best friends with ever since we both had braces in eighth grade.

He understands me. He understands what I want.

My name is Bella Swan. I'm seventeen years old, a junior in high school, and I want to have a baby.

**Just bored on a Saturday night. Should I continue? Review. (:**


	2. Morning Sickness

**It's a Saturday night (now Sunday morning) and I'm sitting here, listening to Taylor Swift, reading fan fictions, and this idea hits me! I stop what I'm doing and just start writing. This is the result of that. Or, part of it. I really hope to continue this story, if you guys like it!**

**I don't own the characters!**

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><p><em>BPOV<em>

How I despise Monday mornings.

I rolled over in bed, pulling my pillow over my head, and reached over, trying to slam my hand down on the alarm clock. Why would it not shut up? Did it not understand that I needed sleep?

I continued trying to reach for it, but my hand only hit the empty, bedside table.

Where the hell was it?

I groaned and threw my pillow across the room, instantly irritation. I had to find the source of the high-pitched beeping noise and make it stop.

Then it hit me: oh.

Just yesterday, who had been the one to purposely put the alarm clock on the other side of the room so I would actual get out of bed? Me. Because who couldn't so much as risk getting to school late once in her lifetime? Me.

Oh the imperfections of trying to be perfect.

I forced myself out of bed, obviously not happy about the fact that it was still dark outside, and turned my alarm clock off. The bed was tempting. It looked so comfy and warm.

"No, Bella." I shook my head and grabbed my bag of toiletries. "It's time for school."

And with that, I made my way to the bathroom to take a shower.

It really did take me a while to get ready in the morning. Not because I piled makeup on my face, and not because I spent hours with a flat iron. It was because of things like the hot, running water of the shower that made me never want to get out.

Literally, every morning, I had to force myself out of the shower so I could go downstairs and eat (and occasionally finish up my trigonometry homework). It's like an ongoing battle. Sometimes I skip breakfast just to spend extra time in the relaxing shower, but I haven't done that in the past month or so.

I sighed and turned off the water.

After pulling on a light blue shirt, jeans, and throwing my hair into a high ponytail, I bounded down the stairs to eat my usual breakfast of Poptarts and milk.

Luckily, we had one of my favorites: Hot Fudge Sundae. I grabbed two packs, poured myself a hue class of milk and stared out the window blankly as I ate.

Edward would be here to pick me up for school soon.

Edward Cullen - my boyfriend. We've been dating ever since the end of eighth grade when he asked me to the 'eighth grade formal'. I remember going home that day in absolute bliss, smiling ear-to-ear, and not being able to sleep at all that night when he had texted me goodnight for the first time.

I laughed. Young love.

Not that I can say things are much different. I still get a goodnight text every night. He's still the same sweet boy that I met three years ago.

Just then, a car honked outside.

Speaking of Edward….

I shoved the rest of my Poptart in my mouth, and put the other in my pocket for later. I grabbed my backpack, slung it over my shoulder, and ran outside to meet my prince charming in his shiny, silver, Volvo.

"Hey." Edward said as I opened the door to his car.

I threw my backpack in the back seat and closed the door behind me.

"Hey yourself!" I called out, leaning in for a quick kiss before he pulled out of my empty driveway. Charlie, my dad, had already left for work earlier this morning, which was insane. Whoever said that school should start at seven needs serious help.

"How are you doing this morning?" He asked, reaching for my hand.

"Well…" I began, taking his hand and smiling. "I woke up and didn't hit the snooze button - yes, an improvement, I know." I didn't mention the fact that the alarm clock was halfway across the room, but, oh well. "Then I took a shower, and went downstairs, ate, and you can… and here we are!"

He chuckled lightly, brushing his thumb across my skin.

"That's great, sweetheart." He paused for a moment, then looked over at me, his green eyes shining in the morning sunlight. "No morning sickness?"

My cheeks flushed bright red, but, nonetheless, I excitedly told him no.

Yes, morning sickness.

Edward and I are expecting a child. It's not the typical "teenage mistake" or "should've used protection", we did this by choice. This was a decision that the two of us made together.

Nobody else knows yet, which is good, for the time being. In a few months, if not weeks, the truth will have to unfold. If nobody else is willing to accept what choices we've made, then they'll just have to deal with it.

Screw our age. Screw what people think. Screw society.

This is what we want, and I'm not going to let anybody get in the way of this.

My free hand went down to my stomach, and I patted it lightly. My little baby boy was in there, and it was my job to protect him. That made me happy that I had somebody to call my own, somebody to love, protect, care for, and nurture.

Even though I'm only a month into this, I can't wait for him to be here.

I looked up at Edward and smiled.

"You alright?" He asked as we pulled into the school parking lot.

I nodded and squeezed his hand. "Come on," I unbuckled my seatbelt, "let's get to class."

English was first period. Thankfully, I had it with Edward so it wasn't nearly as bad. I have a 103% in that class, so it's not like I need to pay attention to what we were talking about. I could focus on more important matters…

English has always my best subject. I've always loved reading (especially Wuthering Heights), and writing. Writing is something that I've always loved.

Just then, Edward casually pushed a piece of paper my way.

_You're making it obvious that you're not paying attention._

I rolled my eyes. Edward was always so worried about me.

_So?_

_Mr. Berty keeps looking at you. I think he knows. You should proba -_

"Ms. Swan!" Mr. Berty called, eyeing me. The whole class turned to look at me. And when I mean the whole class, I mean the whole class. I sit in the back, so it's pretty hard not to notice twenty pairs of eyes glued on you.

"Told you so." Edward muttered under his breath.

I stood on his foot under the desk. "Um, yes Mr. Berty?"

"Romeo and Juliet… how did Juliet Capulet's character grow after she met Romeo?" He smiled. "You have sixty seconds… and…. Go!"

Twenty pairs of eyes on me.

Time limit.

I gulped.

After five seconds of sitting there meeting all of the gaping eyes, I answered.

"Well… after first meeting Romeo, Juliet changes in a lot of ways. I mean, for one, she falls in love, and that alone is a big step… especially for someone whose never felt that way before." My eyes flickered over to Edward, then back to the teachers. "She grows up, too. Her character matures. When everything plays out… she ends up going through things that most people don't experience until later in life. She's fearless."

Mr. Berty nodded his head slowly, almost upset that he hadn't caught me off guard before he continued with his lesson.

Edward's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

_How do you do that?_

_Do what?_

He sighed quietly.

_Answer questions like that so quickly… about Shakespeare? I could do it about any other topic, but Shakespeare?_

_Hello, English nerd here!_

He bit his lip to hold back a laugh.

_My __English nerd._

My cheeks burned bright red. And, even though it was in the middle of class, we both leaned in for a quick kiss. Right as our lips were about to touch, the loud shrilling sound of the bell echoed throughout the room. I jumped and nearly fell out of my chair.

Edward caught me arm just as I was about to fall, saving me from yet another nasty bruise.

"Damn bell." I muttered.

He laughed, but kissed me lightly on the forehead. "I've got to head to biology. I'll see you at lunch, love."

I waved to him and picked up all of my books, heading for my next class.

Trigonometry.

I hate that class with a burning passion. Literally, it's horrible. The teacher always calls on me, there's always a ton of homework, loads of busy work, impossible tests, and all of the people that I hate, including Lauren Mallory.

Every time I hear that name, it's like the devil's cry.

She's awful.

She talks about people behind their backs, even her "friends", laughs at people, makes snide comments to people's faces, and, overall, just makes people's lives miserable. Worst of all, she's only two grade points away from stealing my title of Valedictorian.

Which is not good.

If I lose to her and her wickedness, my life might as well be over.

"Hey Bella." Lauren called out, waving a bit too enthusiastically. She plopped her books right on the desk next to mine and smiled. "I heard about your well thought out Shakespeare comment last period."

Jessica Stanley, from the other side of the room, waved at me, winking.

"Maybe, since you like Shakespeare so much, you can run off with him and I can take Edward off your hands. He deserves someone a little better than you, don't you think?"

Did she really just say that?

Flipping her silky, blonde hair she stood up and walked away.

Be the bigger person, Bella. Be the bigger person, Bella.

"Lauren, you forgot your books." I called out to her, before she reached her desk. She turned, and laughed, throwing her fake little head back.

"Oh, Bella. Be a doll and bring it over here for me?" She sighed. "I just got my nails done and I wouldn't want to ruin them."

Bigger person. Be the bigger person.

I leaned down and grabbed her books. Suddenly, an uneasy feeling hit my stomach. A very familiar, uneasy feeling.

Oh no.

"Bella?" Lauren snapped her fingers. "My books?"

I tried to ignore it, I really did. I clutched my hand to my stomach and held her books in the other, walking slowly over to her. Why was she so far away?

This was not going to end well.

I put her books on her desk and slowly turned. I needed to get to the bathroom. And fast.

"Bella?"

I stopped and turned around. "Yes, Lauren?"

She held up a pencil and dropped it to the ground. "Could you pick that up for me?"

"Can't you do it yourself?"

Lauren laughed. "No, of course not! My skirt is obviously too short to be doing any bending down… if you know what I mean."

"Your wish is my command." I grumbled.

I leaned down and picked up the pencil, no problem. I handed it to her, standing up straight. Just as I was about to leave, the uneasy feeling in my stomach struck with vengeance.

I clutched my stomach and bent over, throwing up all over Lauren Mallory's new shoes.

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><p><strong>Guess we know what happened to the morning sickness! Ha! Did you like it? Any suggestions for next chapter? Review. (:<strong>


	3. Two Stubborn Women Means War

**Hey guys, I'm back! Long time no see… not really. I've been getting so much feedback from you on this story! It makes me so happy. I'm finally sitting down to write this before I go to bed. Hope your Sunday has been great!**

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><p><em>BPOV<em>

I sat in the small, nurses office, tapping my foot on the ground, crossing my arms, and leaning my head against the wall as I waited for second period to end.

I had insisted that I was fine, and surely well enough to stay at home, but the nurse was persistent that I go home.

It wasn't like I could just tell them, "Oh, just morning sickness, since, you know, I'm pregnant." So instead, I kept my big mouth closed.

She was so stubborn!

You can obviously see who won that war.

Since Edward drives me to school, they told me to wait in the nurses office for forty five minutes, which was basically all of second period, before he could drive me home.

Great. Just great.

First I throw up all over Lauren's shoes - a sure reason for her to humiliate me tomorrow, if I even have the guts to show up -, and leaves my so-far perfect attendance record ruined.

The school nurse looked up at me from her desk, still scribbling on her paper.

"Did you eat anything bad last night?"

"No."

She wrote on her paper.

"No illness prior to this?"

"No."

Again, she wrote something down on her paper.

"Maybe you just have that stomach virus that's coming around." She ripped the piece of paper out of the notebook and slid it towards the end of the desk. "Hand that to attendance before… Edward picks you up."

She sighed sappily as she spoke his name. Ugh. It made me want to throw up… again. She was, what, fifty? And he was seventeen. And obviously in a relationship.

I glanced over at the clock. Fifteen minutes.

"Um, excuse me…" I said softly, trying to look as pale as possibly. "Do you think Edward could drive me home now? I'm starting to feel…"

She stood up immediately. "Not another word. Mrs. Cope! Get Edward Cullen for me as soon as possible. With his keys; he has to drive someone home."

Had she seriously bought that? I was worst liar in the history of liars.

In a matter of three minutes, Edward was in the front office, looking around. I had seen that look on his face before: worried, frantic, anxious. Obviously he knew that something had happened with me.

He walked straight up to Mrs. Cope, who pointed me out for him.

I waved.

"Hi."

He looked from me to the nurse. "What happened?"

"Seems to be a case of the stomach virus. She threw up all over poor Lauren Mallory's shoes in the beginning of second period."

Like that makes it any better.

Edward's green eyes widened. "Are you alright?"

"I feel a little… nauseous." I dramatized my voice, trying to make it sound realistic. I had to play along with the show I had made earlier.

Edward knew me better than that, but, played along as well.

He leaned down to kiss my forehead.

"Do you think I should stay with her, to make sure she's alright?" Edward suggested, using his addictive charm, personality, and sweet, sexy voice.

"Can her father not do that?"

He shook his head. "He works all day."

"Oh yeah… Chief Swan…" She sighed. "I don't see why not. I'll take care of that note for you, Bella. Get some rest."

"Mhm." I told her, weakly, as Edward helped me out of the nurses office, and into the car.

We sat in silence for a moment, neither of us saying a word.

I looked down at my hands, fiddling with my thumb, not sure of what to say.

"Are you alright, love?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." I responded softly.

"Bella…"

I refused to look at him. I knew that if I did, I would start crying. I was humiliated. Out of everyone, why Lauren? Why not Angela? At least she would understand. Or even Mike. As irritating as he was, at least he would be sympathetic. Unlike Lauren, who screamed and started crying because I ruined her shoes.

"Yes?"

"That's a lie and you know it." He reached over and put his hand on my leg. "It's not your fault."

Tears brimmed the edge of my eyes. I wiped them with the back of my hand and took a shaky breath. "Ugh, why me?"

A smile played upon Edward's lips. "Because you're pregnant."

I laughed at his simple, blunt answer.

"Yeah, I'm pregnant and hungry. And everyone knows that there's nothing worse than a pregnant, hungry woman."

Edward chuckled. "Let's get you home so you can eat."

Instead of going to my house, we went to Edward's home. His parents would be a bit more understanding if they found us here and not at school, and there's more to do a his place than mine.

As soon as we got to his house, we went straight to the kitchen where Edward made me pancakes. A lot of women crave pickles, peanut butter, and other weird things, but my craving was apparently pancakes.

I could eat them all day if I wanted to.

But bringing pancakes and syrup to school for lunch every day would be a bit too weird.

I shuffled a forkful of food into my mouth as I sat across from Edward. He smiled at me, and leaned over the table, wiping off a smudge of syrup from my cheek with his thumb.

"When your finished eating there's something I want to show you."

"Like… a surprise?"

He chuckled. "Not exactly. It's not finished yet."

Something homemade then? Now I was eager. I inhaled the rest of my food, and looked up at Edward when I was finished.

"Show me."

"Impatient little girl." He teased, touching the tip of my nose. His hand fell from my face, to my fingers, where he intertwined our hands and walked towards the grand piano that sat in the front room.

A new piece.

Edward has always been obsessed with music.

Don't get me wrong, I love music too. But I'm not musically talented at all.

Edward has played the piano since he was ten years old, and is amazing at it. Literally, it's flawless. I love listening to him play. It always makes me feel relaxed, and comfortable. I could easily fall asleep to the beautiful pieces he writes (especially the one that he wrote for me not too long ago).

He spun me around once, leading me towards the seat, in which I gracefully when into. Edward took a seat next to me, his fingers lingering on the keys.

"What did you write?" I whispered.

"I started it last night. I'm not far into it, but I think that you'd like it. I don't know who or what inspired it… but I feel like it's going to be something big."

"Play." I commanded, staring down at the keys.

His fingers soon hit down on the black and white keys, and, a sound so soft, and yet so magical, and enchanting filled the room that it brought tears to my eyes. How was it possible that one man was only playing? It sounded like a hundred.

His fingers flew effortless up and down the piano, never missing a note, never late on a beat…

I closed my eyes and thought of happy thoughts as he played.

I thought of Edward and I moving on in our life after high school, and being together forever. I thought of my childhood, and of my parents. I thought of my baby.

Then… the music stopped.

"That's it?"

"I'm not finished with it yet. Do you like it?"

"Edward…" I shook my head. "It's flawless. It's beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you."

I rolled my eyes and rested my head on his shoulder. He put his arm around me and pulled me closer to him.

Somehow, in that moment, I knew that everything was going to be alright.

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><p><strong>End of chapter two! Nothing major has happened yet, I know. But this chapter is VERY IMPORTANT for something that happens later… just something to keep in mind. ;)<strong>

**Please, please review! It takes five seconds of your day, but it makes mine! **

**Xoxo,**

**twilight37**


	4. Unmasked

**Hey! Something is wrong with my fan fiction, I think. It's not sending me an email that my chapter was posted, or anything about your reviews… but, obviously you guys gave me some beautiful reviews! Thank you so much! Anyway, I'm just waiting for the season finale of Pretty Little Liars so I thought I'd catch up on some writing.**

**Oh, and before we begin - yes, this is all human. No vampires. (: **

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><p><em>BPOV<em>

"Why do you even watch this crap?" I asked my best friend, Alice, throwing yet another handful of popcorn into my mouth. "It's so hard to keep up with."

"But it's so good." She said, her eyes never leaving the screen. "You just never know who A could be. I mean, obviously it can't be Jenna. No blind girl can do that much by herself."

"Alice!" I called out, shocked.

She shrugged her shoulders, her attention quickly averted back to the show.

It was a typical Monday night at the Cullen's; curled up on their huge couch, shoving popcorn into our mouths while we watched Pretty Little Liars - the show that Alice had been raving on about for months now. Rosalie, who married her brother, Emmett, comes too, but she usually doesn't come the new episode is just about to start.

I had never been a fan of the show, but it was one of the few things that Alice will agree to do with me besides shopping. It also gives Edward some time to spend with his brother, Emmett, as well.

Lord knows what they do, but, hey, boys will be boys.

Just like my little boy.

On the commercial, Alice sighed, and looked over at me.

"Geez, Bella. You ate almost all the popcorn!" She exclaimed, picking up the empty bowl. "If I had known you were this hungry I would have ordered pizza."

My cheeks flushed bright red. "Well… technically you still could order pizza…"

Her eyes widened. "I don't think I've ever seen you eat this much before. You're eating a lot of calories." She pointed out. "We're trying to get in shape for summer, not out of shape."

If only she knew… if only she knew.

Alice jumped off of the couch and into the kitchen, holding the empty bowl in her small hands. I heard the opening of the microwave, the beeping of the buttons, and the quiet hum of the microwave as it spun around. Soon, the smell of hot, buttery popcorn filled the air.

It made my mouth water just thinking about it.

"Rosalie's picking up pizza." Alice said, her voice emotionless as she looked down at her phone.

I nodded, hiding my excitement.

Damn cravings. They were literally sending my appetite through the roof. First it's pancakes, then randomly in the middle of the night, fish! I hate fish! Thank God Charlie goes fishing enough so I could heat one up and two in the morning.

And now pizza.

I put both hands on my stomach; this baby was already killing.

Alice came back in the room just as the show came back. She handed the bowl to me, popcorn over spilling and falling on the couch. I rolled my eyes and picked up the tiny pieces, plopping them into my mouth.

"Are you eating from the couch?" She asked, giggling.

I shrugged. "I told you I was hungry."

"You can be so silly sometimes, Bella." She laughed her in a way that I knew she was thinking I was weird before she slowly turned her head back to the screen.

Alice. I'd love to hate her sometimes, but she's just too loveable to not like. She's so bubbly and so happy all the time, that being around her sends a joyful vibe (when she's not dragging you from store to store at the mall, that is. Then she's just downright annoying).

The show was coming to an end, which meant that Rosalie should be here any minute now, hopefully with my food.

Alice looked at the door anxiously.

"The new episode starts in ten minutes… I hope that she makes it in time. Do you think that I should call her?" She mused. "No, no, she's driving.."

I didn't care about the dang show. What I cared about was my pizza.

She kept glancing from the screen, to the door, to the clock, like a constant rotation.

"She'll be here any minute." I reassured Alice, staring at the now empty popcorn bowl. Wow. Had I really just eaten two bowls of popcorn by myself?

This really was going to be a lot of calories.

Then, as if on cue, the front door flew open, causing both Alice and I to jump. It was only Rosalie, carrying one pizza box, her blonde hair flowing in the fierce wind.

Was it possible for someone to look so beautiful?

She looked like a supermodel - the kind of the front cover of Vogue. Her blue eyes were narrowed just enough to give them a smoldering stare, not that her eyes were the first thing that caught your attention. Maybe it was her long, thick, blonde hair that fell in big curls to her mid waist? Or maybe her perfectly curved body? Her glowing skin?

It's no wonder Emmett fell for her.

They've been married for about a year or so now. They had a huge, extravagant, which practically everyone in the small town of Forks, Washington was invited too.

"I'm here!" She called out loudly. "Goodness, that weather is brutal!" She yelled as she tried to slam the door shut behind her against the raging wind.

"There's a storm?" I asked, worried now.

"Seems like it, but, does that surprise you?" She walked into the living room, pulling her scarf off of her neck and setting the pizza box down on the coffee table in front of it. "This is Forks we're talking about."

I nodded, leaning forward to grab a slice of pizza.

"Hungry much?" Rosalie asked, sitting in between Alice and I, kicking her shoes off.

I ignored her and took a bite, pretending to be preoccupied by the show, which had just now started. Alice shushed the two of us, dimmed the lights, and turned up the volume.

For the next forty five minutes, Alice, Rosalie, and I watched the overly dramatic show. For majority of the time, I had hardly paid attention. One part of the show did capture my attention for the time being.

The girl was wearing a beautiful red dress as her date led her out to the dance floor, filled with other couples dancing as well. The two of them wore masks on their faces as they danced together, holding onto one another.

Their relationship had a complication; he was English teacher and much older than her. Obviously a situation that nobody would understand if they knew. Something that people would think as utterly absurd.

Even then, they both unmasked themselves, revealing their faces.

Anybody could have seen them dance. Anybody could have seen them kissing.

But they didn't seem to care.

They knew what they had, and they wanted to cherish it.

To me, that was inspiring. It, in a way, reminded me of Edward and I. As absurd and insane as it may sound… it's what we want. And our time would come; our time to unmasked our secret as well.

Fifteen minutes left in the show, that familiar feeling in my stomach returned.

Oh God. Not now… why now?

"I'm going to the bathroom." I told the two of them, who hardly seemed to notice. They seemed too obsessed with the show to even notice me.

I went into Edward's bathroom, and closed the door, locking it behind me, and leaning my head over the toilet. For the next ten minutes, I stayed in the bathroom. Once I was finished, I flushed, and remained on the floor, leaning my head against the wall.

Sweat covered my forehead, and a disgusting taste filled my mouth.

I forced myself up, and splashed my face with cool water, then grabbed some of Edward's strong, mint mouthwash and swished it though my mouth before I left. Downstairs, Alice and Rosalie were walking around the living room, talking quietly.

"Hey, guys."

They looked at each other.

"Hey, Bella." Rosalie said.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. Just it's really bad outside. The weather, I mean."

I frowned. "How bad is bad?"

"School might be canceled bad." Alice told me. "I think it'd be safer if you didn't drive home in this. Especially since it's dark. Why don't you call Charlie?"

"What about Emmett and Edward?" I asked.

Rosalie held up a finger. "I'll call them and tell them to get home. You call Charlie."

I called my dad, who luckily answered on the second ring, and told him about the bad weather. He was quick to agree, and told me to stay where I was until we found out more.

"Don't stay up too late." He reminded me. "Night, Bells."

"Night, dad."

We hung up, and I eagerly walked back into the living room, where Rosalie was still on the phone. Alice was standing by her side, on her tiptoes so she could hear what was going on the other line.

I rolled my eyes: that was so Alice.

"Uh huh… alright… love you too, bye."

We both looked at her with wide eyes.

"There almost home now." She announced.

Alice and I both went upstairs to my room, where she gave me some pajamas. Not the kind I had hoped for - silky light blue shorts with a white shirt wasn't exactly my idea of comfortable - but, it was either that or the hot pink pair from Victoria Secrets.

I grabbed the blue pair quickly, and escaped to her bathroom to brush through my hair and brush my teeth… again. The taste still wasn't gone from my mouth.

I felt the ground rumble under my feet as the garage opened, which could only mean one thing: Edward.

Dropping everything, I bounded down the stairs, ready to greet my amazing boyfriend. Going too fast to even realize, I had ran smack into him. I gasped as we collided, and had he not grabbed me by my waist, I would have fallen.

He chuckled, causing me to blush. "Well, hello there."

"Um, hi." I breathed as he held me.

Edward leaned back and looked down at what I was wearing, then raised his eyebrow. "Alice?"

"What was your first guess?"

The two of us laughed, and he held my hand, leading me up the staircase and into his room. I took a seat on his bed, grabbing one of his pillows, and pulling it close to me.

"How was your day?" He asked, putting away a few CD's that had been laying around.

"Fine." I answered. When he didn't say anything else, I continued. "School… then I hung out with Alice and ate… a lot."

"Did you get sick?"

I bit my lip.

Edward turned around and smiled at me. "It's alright, love. Are you okay now?"

I nodded. "I'm fine. Tired, and a little light headed, but fine."

He walked over to me, pulled the light brown blankets back, and patted on the bed. I crawled over and snuggled into the comfortable sheets as he pulled the covers over me.

"Where are you going to sleep?" I yawned.

"Sh. Sleep, Bella. I'll take care of that."

"Where are Carlisle and Esme?" I followed up.

"Their out." He said, softly, turning off the light.

"Edward… don't leave me." I whispered into the darkness.

There was a small sigh, but I heard the light padding of his footsteps as he walked towards me. Edward sat on top of the blankets, wrapping his arm around my waist, kissing me on the cheek.

"Goodnight, love."

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><p><strong>I hope that you guys liked it! I spent a lot of time on it - two days in total. What do you think should happen next? Review - you don't believe how much it makes my day. (:<strong>

**Love, love, love,**

**twilight37**


	5. Love Me

**Hey guys! I had planned on updating yesterday, but I was so busy. I had a track meet all day, then ran to Target and Barnes & Noble with my mom, then got ready to see The Hunger Games (which was an alright movie) in five minutes. **

**But, I am updating today! This chapter is a few days after the bad storm. Everyone got home safe, nobody hurt, etc, etc. **

**The end of this chapter is... well... you'll see.**

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><p><em>BPOV<em>

Saturday mornings. Unlike the horrible Monday mornings, I can actually sleep in. And if I'm lucky enough, I can wake up to the sun pouring in through my window, which is exceptionally rare in a town like Forks.

It looks like today was one of those 'exceptionally rare days in Forks' because not only had I woken up to the radiant, beaming sunlight, but the skies were as clear as the icy blue water of the ocean.

I kicked the blankets off of my sheets, and threw back the curtains.

Even though it was probably only in the sixties, it looked beautiful outside. A cloudless blue sky, with the sunlight shining on everything it touched. Today would surely be a day spent outside.

As I continued to stare in awe out my window, my phone rang. I jumped, the noise startling me, but quickly grabbed it from my bedside table.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Bella." Edward. When we didn't have school, he called every day at around eight or so, around the time that I usually wake up, to tell me good morning. "Good morning."

"Morning…" I said, walking towards the window and yanking the curtains back as far as they would go. My room instantly filled with light, and I smiled in spite of myself.

"Did you sleep well?"

I nodded, as though he could see me. "No nightmares."

He chuckled from the other end of the phone. "That's fantastic, love."

Love. He had been calling me 'love' ever since the end of our sophomore year. Most couples our age wouldn't necessarily call each other that, but, then again, we are definitely not like most couples our age.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I did." He said, then quickly moved on to what he had obviously called me for in the first place. "I have a track meet today down in Port Angeles at eleven - would you like to go?"

Edward has always been an amazing runner. His older brother may be strong, but there's no way that he could, under any circumstances, ever beat Edward. Literally, I'm amazed every time I see him run. I didn't even think it was possible that someone could run that fast.

Not only is he fast, but, I'll have to admit, that he looks adorable when he runs. He always has this determined look on his face, his green eyes flustered, and his bronze hair even messier than before.

"I'd love to go!"

I could almost see him smiling. "Great. I'll pick you up at around nine."

"Wait, wait." I stopped him before he hung up. "Why so early?"

"I have to be there for nine, and Port Angeles is an hour away." He told me. "That doesn't change your mind, does it?"

"Of course, not. I'll see you soon. I love you, bye."

I glanced over at the clock: eight o'clock. That gave me an hour to get ready before he showed up at my front door. Which meant that I had better hurry. I was not going to make him late because of me.

Showering was always first. I jumped into the hot water and scrubbed my long, thick, dark brown hair with my favorite strawberry shampoo. Then followed conditioner. Shaving also seemed like a good idea.

With thirty minutes left, I quickly changed into a deep, navy blue baby doll top and dark washed, long and tight capris, along with a pair of ballet flats.

I never paid much attention to my hair. Most days, like today, I just let it fall naturally. It was too long and thick to spend the time actually doing it. I would be here for hours if I so much as touched my flat iron.

No makeup, either. Makeup was only for special occasions - and only then, Alice was the one who put it on.

I may be book smart, but when it comes to cosmetics? No way in hell.

At that point, I still had time to eat a quick breakfast. I grabbed a pack of Poptarts, and sat on the kitchen counter, eating them slowly. Just as I had finished, there was a knock on the front door.

I jumped off of the counter and ran to the door, pulling it open.

There stood Edward. Even in his track uniform - a thin, blue tank top that read 'Spartans' which matching blue shorts - he looked gorgeous. There was not a single flaw about him that I could find.

Tell me again, how did I get this lucky?

"Hey." I said, standing on my tiptoes to kiss him.

He slid his arm around my waist, and didn't let go as I stood back down. He simply pulled me closer, and walked out of the door,heading to his car.

"How are you this morning?" Edward asked as he slid into the drivers seat.

"I'm fine. Just going to a track meet for some guy. Not that you would know him; he's only the fastest on the entire team." I joked, sarcastically.

He rolled his eyes in response.

"What are you running today, anyway?"

"Um." He thought for a moment as he drove. "It's a relay day today, so the 4 x 800."

I had no idea what he meant by that, but I smiled.

We talked about this and that on the long drive to Port Angles. A lot of his meets were down there, since Forks was such a small town. I'm pretty sure that we're the only high school in the city. La Push isn't too far away, but our school doesn't compete with them that often.

The school was packed when we got there. There were cars parked halfway down the road, some on the grass, some were probably in the nearby Target parking lot. We were one of the people who parked halfway down the road. Honestly, there was no point in aimlessly circling around trying to find a place to park.

"Ready?" Edward asked me.

"Says the one who's about to go race."

He laughed and got out of the car, grabbing my hand as he met me on the other side. I paid to get in - refusing to let Edward pay for me once again - and went with him as he checked in with his coach.

"Hi, Coach Clapp." I said, softly.

"Bella?" He squinted through the sunlight. When I nodded he smiled. "Nice to see you here." He then turned to Edward. "Get some warm ups in before your race; half a mile, stretching, then some strides."

"Alright, coach."

We walked over the bleachers and sat with all of the other students from Forks.

Of course the track team was there, boys and girls, along with some students I didn't know. Mike Newton was there, along with Jessica Stanley, who I didn't know if I liked or not. Angela Weber and her boyfriend Ben were there. They were both nice, but I didn't talk to them that much.

Then… there was Lauren.

I avoided eye contact with her and clutched into Edward's hand.

When he was gone, she would for sure say something to me. I knew that she would make some snide remark.

I really wasn't in the mood to deal with her today.

Feeling a small cramp in my stomach, I rested my head on Edward's shoulder and closed my eyes.

"Are you alright?" He whispered softly, running his hand up and down my arm.

"Mhm." I lied, smoothly. The fact that I hadn't said much made it very convincing. He didn't think much of it, he continued to slowly rub my arm.

It felt good, but it didn't help the cramp.

"Edward." I said, so quietly that the words were barely audible to my own ears.

He seemed to have heard and looked at me. "Yes?"

"Have you thought of names yet?" I asked softly, leaning in closer to him. I looked around to make sure that nobody had heard me.

I felt him smile as he traced patterns up and down my arm. "Well… I really like the name Isabel." He murmured. "For obvious reasons."

Isabel… Isabella…

It was a pretty name, but far too similar to my name.

"Maybe for a middle name?"

Edward thought for a moment. "Huh. That might work. What did you have in mind?"

I looked around once more. Again, nobody was listening. They weren't paying attention to us, they were going along with their normal, day-to-day activities.

"Olivia." I said. "Olivia Isabel Cullen?"

It had a nice ring to it. I liked it. I liked it a lot.

Edward pulled me closer to him and kissed me on the cheek, his mouth right by ear. His breath blew by my ear, sending shivers up my spine. I turned my head to the side so I could look him in the eye.

The look in his eyes made it obvious: he loved it.

His hand fell to my waist, and his lips pressed against mine. The moment was so perfect, so right, that absolutely nothing could ruin it. Our heads pressed together, his lips sweet as wine…

I was in love with him, and everything that we had.

"Edward!" Someone called out loud, breaking out moment. We both jumped, and smiled at each other. He twirled a piece of my hair in his long fingers, kissed me once again… then again before he ran off to go warm up.

I sighed happily.

The pain was still there, but I was too happy to so much as care about it. I put my hand on my stomach and smiled, thinking about my little Olivia Isabel.

I had no clue if it was a girl or not, but I had a strong feeling that it was.

As everyone continued to watch the races that were going on, the pain in my stomach continued to grow on. At first it was just a little cramp, but now it was growing sharper and sharper. I held onto my stomach and stood up slowly.

"Bella?" Angela asked.

I put on the best smile that I could. "I'll be right back."

She nodded slowly, and turned around, as though unsure. I walked up the bleachers and to the bathroom, which was on the south end of the track.

There was no line in the bathroom, so I walked straight in.

I sat down, hoping that maybe I had drank more water than usual and that was the problem. But nothing happened.

The pain continued to grow, blaring in my stomach. I clutched onto both sides of the seat and closed my eyes, breathing deeply. The pain was unbearable now, feeling like I was being ripped inside out.

Edward was probably out there running right now. I needed to get out there to watch him… to support him… he needed me as much as I needed him.

I pushed myself up, my legs wobbling as I stood.

The pain was still pain beyond my belief, and, almost instinctively, my eyes were squeezed shut.

'Open your eyes, Bella' I thought to myself. 'It won't be that bad.'

I took another deep breath and opened my eyes. Looking down, I found myself standing in a puddle of blood.

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><p><strong>This was a hard chapter to write - well, the ending was hard to write. The next few chapters will for sure be full of suspence and drama, but, it <em>will<em> be happy again. I** **promise all of my wonderful reviewers that! (:**

**What do you think should happen next?**

**Xoxo,**

**twilight37**


	6. Last Kiss

**Wow, so, I know I already updated today, but I really wanted to write this some more. I didn't think that you guys would have a problem with that… you don't? Well, good. **

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><p><em>BPOV<em>

"What…? No, no…" I whispered to myself, staring down at the puddle of red. The pain struck me once more in the stomach, and I fell to the ground. I tried to silence my screams and cries, but it was useless.

The pain was too much.

Somebody kill me. Somebody make this end. Wake me up from this nightmarish hell.

The rusty smell of blood suddenly filled the small room, and I felt myself slowly losing consciousness. My vision was blurry, and everything around me seemed to be moving in slow motion.

Through it all, I heard somebody calling my name. I saw her push open the bathroom stall, and knelt by my side, panicking.

"Bella, Bella!" I heard muffled voice cry. "Bella, are you alright?"

The only thing that was keeping me awake, was the pain in my stomach. It was so unbearable that it was keeping my eyes open and the only reminder that this was real, and not some demented dream.

For Edward. For Charlie. For… Olivia.

I then realized what was going on, what had happened, why I was laying here on a bathroom floor in my own blood…

I screamed out loud, breaking through my near unconscious state.

"NO!" I cried, lurching forward and grabbed onto Angela Weber's arm. She looked startled, her brown eyes widening in horror. "No… my baby… Olivia…" I managed to get out in between cries.

Angela reached for her phone and quickly dialed in three numbers. You didn't need to be a genius to guess who she was calling. But I didn't care. I didn't care who was around me, or who heard, or who called.

She was gone. My Olivia Isabel was gone.

I would never get to hold her in my arms, and look at her beautiful face. I would never get to kiss her or tuck her into bed at night. I would never get to watch her grow up into a beautiful young woman, or help her with boy problems, or go prom dress shopping, or help her find her wedding dress…

She was gone.

The only memory I had of her was of the baby that was once in my stomach.

"Bella, Bella, you need to calm down!" Angela yelled at me, her voice firm. She reached for my hands that were thrashing against the stalls and pinned them by my side. "You're going to be alright. I promise. Relax."

My body shook and my tearstained cheeks burned.

I tried to control myself for Angela's sake, but I couldn't. I just couldn't. I couldn't process this through my mind. All I could think was:

Why me?

Before I knew it, there were a crowd of people standing by the door, all of their eyes on me. I wanted them all gone. Nobody should have to see me like this.

A group of paramedics then rushed in through the door, pushing through the crowd of people. Two of them knelt beside me as a stretcher was wheeled in. They both grabbed my arms, and helped me up and into the stretcher.

They put an oxygen mask over my mouth and ran me out of the bathroom.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Edward frozen on the track, staring right at me. Though he was feet away, I could see the shock written on his face as they wheeled me into the ambulance.

I don't remember much after that.

I remember them pinning me down to put a needle in my arm, and as hard as I fought with them, I was too weak. I remembered the rocking of the ambulance. And I remember one of the paramedics holding my hand the entire way there.

"Dr. Cullen!" They yelled, running me into the hospital. "Seventeen year old female; about 110 pounds; miscarriage, and possible shock."

My eyes were closed, but I could feel him looking right at me.

"Miscarriage, you said?" Carlisle repeated slowly.

"Yes."

He instructed them on what to do, his voice still unsure. There would be a lot of explaining to do later on, but that was the least of my worries at the moment. My biggest problem was what these doctors were about to do with me.

It wasn't bad at first; just a quick ultrasound on my stomach. My eyes filled with tears as I watched the empty black and white screen. My heart broke all over again.

The rest was painful, and uncomfortable.

I cried and clutched the bed sheets, praying for it to stop. I whimpered Edward's name over and over again, wishing her were by my side, holding me next to him.

When the doctor's had finished everything, they left me alone in my hospital room, with nothing to do but be lost in my own thoughts.

My eyes were heavy and I wanted to sleep, but I couldn't find the energy to make myself. All I could think about was my poor, little baby.

Maybe if I had done something different she would still be here.

I wouldn't be here in the hospital. I wouldn't have ruined Edward's track meet. And we wouldn't be in the mess that we're about to get ourselves into.

Just then, the door opened, ike my guardian angel falling from the sky.

"Edward." I said.

He ran over to me and pulled me into his arms. I broke down again, crying uncontrollably as he held me. I never wanted him to let go. I could tell that he was trying not to cry as well, trying his very best.

That only made me hold onto him even tighter.

Someone in the doorway cleared there throat, and we both looked up, not letting go of each other.

There the three of them stood: Carlisle, Esme, and Charlie.

"I think that the two of you have some explaining to do." Carlisle said.

"You sure as hell do!" Charlie yelled, walking towards Edward, reaching for the gun in his gun belt. "What the hell did you do to my daughter you dirty little -"

"DAD!" I screamed as Edward stood up, putting both of his arms in the air, as if surrendering.

"Shut your mouth, young lady." He growled, now staring right at me. "What is this? What _is_ this? This is not my Bella."

Now that his attention was diverted from my boyfriend, Edward moved out of the way.

"Yes, I am your Bella." I snarled back, in a tone just as harsh.

"Well, Bella, this one mistake could ruin your whole reputation, you know that?"

My baby was NOT a mistake.

"It wasn't a mistake!" I blurted out. Everyone froze, including Edward. "My baby is not a mistake. I - we - Edward and I - we did this on purpose!"

Charlie's face turned five different shades of red, and he looked at the both of us, an evil glare in his eyes. "I don't want to see either of you two ever again."

And before anyone had time to respond, he ran out the door without another word.

My dad had just told me that he never wanted to see me again. He wanted nothing to do with me. He didn't even say goodbye. Could a father walk out on his daughter's life so easily?

Carlisle, Esme, and Edward all looked at me, as if expecting me to say something to them.

I couldn't look at them. I turned my head to the side, and let more tears fall from my eyes.

Let me suffer in silence.

Esme was then by my side, pushing Edward out of the way, rubbing my head and wiping the falling tears with her thumb.

"There's still a lot that we need to talk about," she began, "but why don't we all go home?" Then more softly, she leaned in to kiss my forehead. "You can stay with us, Bella. We're always here for you."

Just hearing that somehow made eve thing all the more better.

And yet, I couldn't stop myself from crying.

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><p><em>In loving memory of Isla and Isabel. May you forever be our guardian angels. <em>


	7. Kiss The Rain

**Well, thank you for all of the lovely reviews last chapter! I know it was sad, but, I loved hearing back from you guys! I really do. It makes me so happy when I see 'review alert' in my inbox! Anyway… here's the next chapter. I hope that you guys like it. (:**

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><p><em>BPOV<em>

_Darkness. _

_That was all that I saw. My eyes were open, but my world was dark; darker than the darkest of nights. _

_My feet echoed as I walked down the endless, black passageway. I had no idea where I was going, but I was walking… and walking… and walking…._

_Suddenly, a pain hit me, jolting my abdomen. I gasped, not expecting the pain, and clasped my hand over my huge stomach, screaming out loud._

_Just then, the lights flashed on, and I found myself standing face to face with myself. My eyes were wide with fear as I looked down at my reflection - hospital gown, wild hair, my blood dripping from between my legs onto the floor…._

"_Well hello Miss Swan," the male doctor said, appearing out of nowhere behind me snapping a pair of bright turquoise gloves onto his hand, "I suppose your ready for surgery?" _

I shot up in bed, panting. Sweat dripped down my back, my neck, my chest.

There was then a pair of hands on me, and I jumped, letting out a small cry.

"Shh, Bella." He whispered, pulling me into his chest, running his fingers through my tangled hair and kissing the top of my head. "You're alright, shh."

Edward.

The events from the other day were slowly coming back. I hadn't been very aware of everything that had went on; most of it was a blur. I remember Charlie kicking me out, and Esme inviting me to stay with them. I briefly remember the car ride home, and from then on, I had spent most of my time sleeping.

Sleeping helps with the pain.

I squirmed out of his arms, and fell against the pillow.

"Oh." I said, putting my hands on the back of my head and squeezing my eyes shut.

"Did you have another bad dream?" Edward asked, softly.

I simply nodded, not wanting to talk about it. Simply thinking about it shot painful memories through my mind.

We sat in silence.

"Is there anything that I can do to help?"

I ignored his question, not wanting to do anything pertaining to that subject. "What's going to happen?"

"What do you mean, love?"

Tears instantly filled my eyes and immediately spilled without warning. "What are we going to do? We can't… I can't just… live here with you… that's not fair to you guys and what about school? And my dad - he probably hates me and…" I went on and on, bawling my eyes out until I couldn't go on any further.

The only thing I could manage to get out were the raging cries.

"Oh Edward…" I cried. "My… baby…"

He pulled me into his arms once again. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck and cried, trying to silence the wails into his chest. His grip on my waist was tight, and ever-lasting, which was exactly like I needed.

I needed to know that he wasn't going to leave me.

I didn't want him to leave me all alone. I had no where to go besides Florida.

Edward pressed his cool lips to my forehead. He then moved his hands to my face and caressed my cheeks.

"Bella, I swear to you, everything is going to be just fine."

With tears still streaming down my face, I asked him, "And you're not going to leave me?"

He grabbed my shoulders and shook me, as thought trying to knock some sense into me. "Bella, Bella… silly, Bella! I will never leave you, and you know that. I love you more than life itself." He whispered.

"Yes, we're going through a hard time right now, but we will make it through this. Together. I promise you, we can do this." Through the darkness, I could make the outline of his perfect face. "Bella, I love you."

I smiled weakly. "I love you, too."

He kissed me lightly on the lips, and held me as we lay in the darkness. My breathing was beginning to slow, and my heart rate was returning to normal. Sleep was starting to take over, though I wasn't quite ready for sleep.

"Edward?" I whispered.

"Yes?"

"Did you ever finish that piece?" I asked, trying to hide a yawn. "You know… the one on the piano that you wrote the other day…"

"Oh." Edward said, softly. "Yes, I did."

"Can I hear it?" I asked him. "It's really calming…"

"Right now?"

"Can we?"

He didn't answer at first, but slowly, he stood up, intertwining the both of our hands, and we tiptoed downstairs to his grand piano. We both sat next to each other, with the moonlight as our only light.

I didn't think that he would be able to see the keys at first, but just as I was about to ask, he started playing, his fingers gracefully flying down the keys.

Resting my head on his shoulder, I closed my eyes and dreamed.

It was so beautiful, so… indescribable. I couldn't put a finger on what made it so flawlessly unique and different. There was something about this piano piece that made it so special to me.

As I listened, I hadn't even realized that tears were streaming down my face until the music slowly faded to nothing.

I laughed at myself and wiped my eyes with the back of my hand.

I looked down at the ivory keys, my eyes following each and every one of them, until my eyes met the piece of sheet music resting on the dark, wooden piano top. My fingers traced the indents in the paper, and followed to the top of the paper.

"No name?"

Edward shook his head.

I stared down at my feet for a moment, my heart breaking as I reached for the pencil that sat not to far away. Slowly and shakily, I wrote a title for the most beautiful piece of music my ears had ever heard:

_Olivia_.

Edward looked over at me and half smiled. I just stared into his sad, green eyes and fell back into his arms. And as we held each other, through the deepening sadness, from the corner of my eye, I saw something special.

I saw the distant couture of a rainbow in the night sky.

I smiled and held onto Edward even tighter than before.

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><p><strong>Yet another sad chapter! Another two or three before happiness returns! Don't forget to review! Literally, it makes my day when you guys do. Even if it's criticism! <strong>

**xoxo,**

**twilight37 **


	8. Pleasant Surprises

**So, I'm sitting in a car on my way to a track meet in Mississippi… the perfect time to update the next chapter! Haha. Thanks for everybody who reviewed, story alerts, favorite author, etc, etc… I really appreciate it. (:**

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><p><em>BPOV<em>

The dark, gloomy light poured in through the window of Edward's room. No sunlight; just the grey shadows from the depressing outside world.

I rolled over in bed , immediately noticing the lonely presence of the empty bed.

I sat up, looking around, slightly bewildered.

I forced myself out of bed and walked aimlessly around the silent house, wondering whether I was alone in the Cullen mansion or not. My feet stuck against the cold, hardwood floor as I walked.

From downstairs, I heard the opening and closing of cabinets, and I followed the noise into the kitchen. There, sitting around the round table sat Alice, Rosalie, and Esme, who was standing over the stove with a pan, the sizzling smell of bacon steaming from it.

"Morning, Bella." They told me softly.

I smiled weakly and took a seat in between the two of them at the table.

There was an awkward silence from the four of eyes. I was afraid to make eye contact with my best friends. I was afraid that they would be ashamed of me for my choices.

"Where's Edward?

Alice spoke first. "At school It's been a few days since the…" Rosalie cleared her throat, and she stopped in mid-sentence, noticing the pained expression written all over my face. "So I decided to stay with you today."

"You guys don't have to stay home with me." I frowned.

Esme walked towards the table holding a big plate filled with food. "It won't be for much longer. You'll be going back to school as of tomorrow." She told me with a cheerful smile. "But, for now, you need to eat. You haven't eaten enough this past week. It's not good for you."

She kissed me on the cheek and went to grab her own plate.

Tomorrow? I didn't want to know how long I had been out, but I certainly didn't want to go back. The looks that people would give me… the rumors that will, had probably already have, spread… the teasing, the humiliation… tears brimmed the edge of my eyes just thinking about it.

Maybe people would cut me some slack. Maybe they would realize that things weren't what they seemed like. Maybe people would still like me. Maybe my teachers would still respect me.

…. Maybe.

I pushed my plate of food away from me. The thought of food disgusted me.

Rosalie looked over at me with pleading eyes. "Bella, please eat."

I sighed in defeat and grabbed a piece of bacon, the smallest one, and nibbled on it slowly. As much as I said I wasn't hungry, I found myself slowly finishing the entire plate without even realizing it.

Esme walked over to me, smiling. "That's my girl. Now why don't you go get showered and dressed for the day?"

"Are we going somewhere?"

Her eyes met Rosalie's for a brief moment. "Well, sweetheart, you see, in order for you to go back to school they've requested that you go check in with OB GYN beforehand."

I swallowed.

Rosalie's hand was instantly on my arm. She held it firmly, yet reassuringly. "Bella, it's going to be alright."

"Is Edward going to be there?" I whispered.

She looked at Esme. "That could be arranged…"

"I'll text Edward." Alice offered, grabbing her phone and went into the other room, her fingers flying across the keyboard as she walked.

"Go on and get ready." Rosalie told me. "Esme and I have got the kitchen."

I walked by myself up the stairs. There was an uneasy feeling in my stomach; the feeling that I always get when I go to the hospital. I'm petrified of needles, and the sight of those white coats sends chills down my spine.

Doctor's offices are not my favorite place in the world.

As I showered, I tried to distract myself from… everything.

I tried not to think about the little baby that was once in my stomach. I tried not to think about how I failed her - about how it was all my fault that she was gone. There must have been something I could have done to save her… something… anything…

But it was too late now, and I had nobody to blame but myself.

The water from the shower made it hard to tell if I was crying or not, but I rubbed my eyes anyway.

After the long, relaxing shower, I walked back into Edward's bedroom and realized that I still hadn't gone back home and packed some clothes.

"Damn."

Just as I was about to walk into Alice's room and ask to borrow some of her clothes - Lord help me - I noticed some clothes folded on the bed. I sat down on the bed, and put them in my lap.

It looked like jeans and some kind of blue shirt.

Not having anything else that I could wear, I pulled the light-washed skinny jeans on, and yanked the shirt over my hair. The outfit wasn't too bad, a bit dressier than I would have liked, but doable.

The shirt was a deep blue tank top with ruffles on the front, paired with a black jacket.

Only Alice.

I pulled the converse that had also been put aside for me to wear and walked downstairs. It appeared that everyone else was already ready to go.

"Sorry." I mumbled as I approached them.

Esme smiled. "No worries, dear."

"Are you guys all coming to the appointment as well?"

Alice shook her head. "No, silly. We all thought that going out and enjoying a little girl time would be fun." She smiled ear-to-ear. "We'll be in the waiting room. You and Edward can be in the room yourselves."

That seemed reasonable. Though I wasn't too fond of the girls time, mostly because it meant shopping, I was relieved that they wouldn't be in the room with us.

The four of us all piled into Rosalie's bright red car and we made the hour long drive to Port Angles, blasting music the whole way there. I tried to relax and forget about the doctor's appointment later today.

Excepting to start out in Victoria's Secret or Abercrombie, I braced myself as we approached the first store. But, I was pleasantly surprised when Alice was holding the door to Barnes and Noble wide open.

I walked in, trying to suppress a smile.

"Surprise!" She called out, giggling. "Our treat. Go pick out a book."

"Are you sure? I don't want to spend your money -"

"Bella, please." She rolled her eyes. "Just go pick out a book."

Again, pleasantly surprised.

I walked up and down the long aisles, my eyes tracing each and every cover. There were just so many stories to pick from… each and every one so different… so unique… so special.

I don't think that they realized how long I take when I'm around books. I could literally take hours picking out the perfect book, only to finish it in a matter of hours.

Action… no. Adventure… not that either. Not fantasy either - I had no desire to read about nonexistent mythical creatures like vampires.

Romance? Or a romantic mystery, even. I pulled the first book under that category and skimmed over the book. It sounded interesting enough.

I held it close to me and walked over to the checkout.

Esme, who had been standing there the whole time, welcomed me with a warm smile and gently took the book from my hands. She paid for it and handed me the bag as we left the store.

"Thank you so much." I thanked her. "You didn't have to do that."

"I thought it would be good for you. Maybe a good book would distract you from things for a bit. I had a big selection in my room if you ever need another one."

That was thoughtful.

I thanked her once more before we met up with Rosalie and Alice, who had left to get some of their own shopping in. They both handed me Starbucks - my favorite kind, too. I smiled, and drank it as we made our way back to the car.

"What time is it?"

Rosalie looked down at her phone. "About one."

My eyes widened. "I took _that _long?"

"Yes, you did." Alice pointed out. "But, it's alright. It gave me time to get some shopping done myself."

"What time is the appointment?" I asked, ignoring Alice.

Esme craned her head to look at me from the driver's seat. "It's at 3:00. We're going to go straight to the hospital. Edward should already be there."

I nodded slowly.

The drive back to Forks seemed so much longer than before. The anxiety was literally killing me, and only grew worse, almost unbearable, as we pulled into the hospital parking lot.

Oh God.

I stared out the window, not moving.

"Bella…?" Alice asked, waving her hand in front of me.

"Huh? Oh, wait, what?"

"We're here… you coming?"

"Do I really have to?"?

She grabbed my arm and yanked me up from the car. How a girl that little could possibly pull anybody besides a Barbie doll up was beyond me, but she somehow managed. She didn't let go, either. She held onto my arm tightly, pulling me through the front doors of the hospital.

The receptionist smiled and handed Esme a clipboard. She had to ask me a few questions since she's not my legal mother, and I'm still seventeen, but it eventually got filled out and turned back in.

Edward should be here by now. I checked the time every five minutes, and stared at the door, waiting for him to run in.

Most people in the waiting area were older couples, or, older than me at least. Majority of the couples looked to be in their twenties, the girl with a big stomach, and her husband by her side.

I shrunk down into my chair, hiding the sadness as best as I could.

"Isabella Swan?"

I looked up, and noticed a woman standing at the door with a paper in her hands. I turned to Esme nervously.

"Go on. Edward will be here soon. Do you want me to come?"

I shook my head and stood up, walking towards her slowly.

The doctor smiled and led me back into a small examination room. There were no windows, and the walls were all white. A bed sat in the middle of the room, with a machine hooked to the side of it.

"Go on and lay down on that table…" She told me. "My name is Dr. Askew, by the way. How have you been lately?"

How do you think I've been? "Good."

"Did you come alone?" She asked, curiously.

"My boyfriend is going to be here any minute now…" I told her softly.

Dr. Askew nodded her head and snapped a pair of blue gloves onto her hands. She looked at me and smiled. "Okay, then, Isabella-"

"Bella."

"Bella, then." She corrected with a nod. "We're just going to do a quick ultra-sound while we wait for your boyfriend. That won't be problem now, will it?"

"No, ma'am."

As she walked around the room gathering all of the materials needed for the ultrasound she asked me questions. How old I was, how I was doing in school… did I like school? What was my favorite subject?

The kind of questions your dentist asks you when you have a million different tools in your mouth.

She turned off the lights, and took a seat on a wheeling chair by my bed.

She then squirted the gel on my stomach and grabbed her small little tool. I closed my eyes, knowing that it wouldn't hurt, and tried to relax.

"Hmm…" Dr. Askew mused as she stopped the tool on one particular point on my stomach. "Now that is interesting…"

My eyes shot open. "What's wrong?"

"Well it appears that -"

Just then the door burst open, and there stood Edward. He ran over to me, out of breath.

"I'm here, I'm here." He kissed me on the forehead and knelt beside me. "Sorry I'm late."

"No, no, it's fine." I told him quickly, then turned back to Dr. Askew. "What's wrong?"

"What do you mean 'what's wrong'?" Edward asked, worried now. "Is everything alright?" He grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly.

"Well… it appears that there's another baby."

My jaw dropped.

Edward's eyes popped.

"Another baby?" I repeated. "As in... there were two...?"

She pointed to the black and white screen. "You see that little grayish dot?" We both nodded. "That's the baby."

"How long has it been in there?"

"The whole time." She answered, chuckling at our aghast expressions. "I'll give you two a moment now."

As soon as Dr. Askew left, I covered my face with my hands.

There had been two the entire time. There was still a little baby in my stomach. I glanced at the frozen screen from the corner of my eye, still in shock.

Was this really possible? We had only lost _one_ of precious darlings?

"Oh my god… Edward…" I whispered.

He squeezed my hand even tighter than before, not saying a single word.

But I didn't care. The three of us had each other, and that's all that mattered.

* * *

><p><strong>Were you expecting that? Sorry it took so long to update. Next chapter will be up soon, I promise. Review what you think will happen next… even though I already have a couple of ideas in store. ;)<strong>

**Xoxo,**

**twilight37**


	9. People Throw Rocks At Things That Shine

**Hey! I'm back! I've been so busy lately, but it's Easter… I'm waiting to eat some food… and I just finished writing my Easter fan fiction (go check it out?), so I thought it would be a good idea to update this lovely story. (:**

_BPOV_

Edward and I walked out of the hospital room, hand in hand, the two of still in complete shock. Esme stood up as we walked into the waiting room, and ran straight to us.

"What's wrong? What happened?" She asked.

I couldn't speak at first. The concept that there was another baby inside of me was still registering in my mind.

"Bella? You look pale, sweetheart." Esme told me, pulling me from Edward and pushing me down into a nearby chair.

I closed my eyes, and felt Esme kneeling in front of me. She turned and asked a question, to Edward, I assumed. "What's going on with her? Is she okay?"

"She's fine." Edward said. I could almost see the smile on his face. "Perfectly fine."

"Well then why is she -"

I opened my eyes and put my hand on top of Esme's.

"There's still another baby."

She looked from me to Edward, then back to me, looking just as shocked as Edward and I had moments ago. Her jaw was wide open, almost as though she were trying to say something.

"I'm sorry… what? How is that possible?"

Edward and I explained exactly what the doctor had told us earlier. She had explained how there were two babies inside of me to start with; we were originally unknowingly expecting twins. At the track meet I had only miscarried one of the babies, and none of the other doctors had thought to check for that until today.

Esme covered her face with her hands and quickly ran her hands through her hair.

"Well, there's a lot that we have to discuss." She told the two of us seriously. "Why don't you two go home, and I'll get your father and meet you back at the house. Alice is already there. She and Rose left early."

"Sounds great." Edward said, taking my hand and pulling me up from the chair. I could feel Esme's eyes on us as the two of us walked out of the hospital and into the parking lot.

The car ride back home was silent. I couldn't think of anything to say. There were only two things on my mind at this point and time:

I was still pregnant, and I was also very curious as to what Esme wanted to talk about.

Once we were home, Edward helped me out of the car.

"Edward?" I asked.

"Yes, love?"

"Can you make some tea?" I asked, sheepishly. "I just want to go upstairs and change into something more comfortable."

He nodded. "Of course, it'll be ready by the time your downstairs."

I kissed him on the cheek and walked slowly up the stairs. We still hadn't gotten around to getting my stuff from my dad, so I knocked on Alice's door and walked straight on, knowing she wouldn't mind.

She was sitting on her bed, flipping through a magazine.

When she noticed that it was me who walked in, she dropped the magazine and sat up straight. "Hey, how'd it go? Sorry that I left."

"It's fine." I said, smiling.

"You look happy… what happened?"

I explained, for the second today, what had happened, though her reaction was a bit different from everyone else's. She squealed and pulled me into a tight hug.

"Oh my god, this is great! I'm so happy for you! I'm going to be an aunt! I can't wait to tell Rosalie!" She ranted on and on, the smile never fading from her face.

"Can't… breathe…"

"Oh, sorry! I'm just so happy." She giggled and let go of me. "So did you need anything else?"

"I was wondering if I could borrow some sweat pants and a t-shirt. Just something comfortable."

She stood up and walked over to her drawers, pulling the top one open and throwing me a pair of dark blue sweatpants, which were, of course, designer. She also threw a plain white, v-neck shirt.

"Thanks."

"Anytime!" Alice called as I walked out of her room and into the bathroom to clean up.

I changed into the clothes Alice had gave me, brushed through my hair, splashed my face with water and went back downstairs, where Edward was waiting for me.

He pushed my tea towards me. "I didn't know if you wanted sugar or milk, so I just left it plain."

"Thanks, Edward." I told him appreciatively, taking a small sip.

I followed Edward as he walked into the living room, and I took a seat next to him on the leather couch, putting my hot tea on the coffee table. I snuggled into his chest, and he immediately put his arm around me, pulling me closer.

"What do you think they want to talk to us about?"

"I have no idea, love." He began, rubbing my arm reassuringly.

Just then, the front door opened, and his parents walked through the door. Carlisle was still in his white doctor's coat, and even had his stethoscope around his neck. Esme was right behind him, closing the door as they both walked straight to the living room.

I tensed a little, and Edward pulled me closer in response.

The two of them sat on the couch which was positioned on the wall next to us. I took a deep breath and looked at the both of them.

Carlisle leaned forward. "Before we begin anything - Bella," he said, "congratulations. To you too, Edward."

He said this seriously, like he meant it. There was no harshness in his tone of voice. In fact, he even smiled.

"Thanks." I said softly, locking my eyes with Edward's for a moment.

"And, now for more serious matters." Carlisle paused for a moment to look at everyone in the room before continuing. "This is a very adult-like decision the two of you are making. And Esme and I have come to the agreement that if you are willing to make adult decisions, then you should be treated like adults."

I nodded slowly.

"There's a little house that's just behind this one. Edward, you know the one I'm talking about - the guest home." He continued. "We think it would be best if you and Bella were to stay there."

"I don't want you two to feel like we're kicking you out or abandoning you." Esme reassured us. "We're just trying to prepare, and let you know what the real word is like."

Their proposition was plausible. It wasn't outrageous, and it wasn't insane. It actually made sense to me, because they were right. Edward and I really were tackling on a very mature and adult situation. His parents seemed to understand that.

It wasn't anything like Charlie, who had told me that he never wanted to see me again. They seemed open and accepting about what we wanted.

"It will be like your own little house." She said. "You two can paint the walls, replace the furniture… but, of course, there are responsibilities that come with having a house."

"Like what?" I asked, nervous now.

She looked over at Carlisle. "We've agreed that you're 'rent' will be a cheap. Fifty dollars a month."

Suddenly, I could see us having our own little place to stay in. I could see us sitting on the porch together watching the sun go down, or holding each other in the morning light as the sun came out. Our own room, our own rules… nobody to tell us what to do.

I looked up at Edward and smiled.

He squeezed my shoulder and leaned down to whisper in my ear. "You think this is a good idea?"

"Yes." I whispered back. "An amazing idea."

Edward nodded and faced his parents. "Alright, we'll do it."

The four of us all agreed that this weekend would be a good idea to move all of the stuff down to the mysterious guest house. It was Wednesday, which left us two nights in the Cullen mansion before Edward and I would be on our own.

We both went back up to his room in silence.

It really had been an eventful week. How I was still standing was beyond me. Most people would be dead on their feet.

Glancing out the window, I noted that there was about an hour or so of sunlight left.

"Edward."

"Yes, Bella?" He answered, messing with his CD's.

"Do you think that you could show me the guest house?" I asked. "I've never seen it before and I kind of want to check it out."

"Right now?"

I looked outside again. "Can we?"

"Sure."

He reached for my hand and we walked out the back door, and through their enormous backyard. And there, hidden among the trees, was a small little house. It was hidden in the shadows, so I didn't get the best view of it, but I anticipated something beautiful.

"The electricity isn't on yet," he told me, "but this is it."

I walked inside slowly, looking around at my house. There was a fireplace on the far wall, which was entirely brick. To the left, there was a kitchen, and to the right, there were two doors, bedrooms, I supposed.

Even in the low light, the home was beautiful. I took in every aspect of it that I could.

This was my - no, _our_ house.

In the corner of the room, I saw something. Squinting, I pointed to it.

"Edward, what's that?"

"That? Oh, huh, a guitar." He walked over to it and picked it up, pulling a few strings. I stood by his side, watching as he played a few chords.

Somehow, we both ended up sitting on the fireplace, side by side. Edward was still holding the guitar, but I rested my head on his shoulder.

"I'm nervous about school tomorrow." I whispered. "Everything and everybody are just going to… be awful."

He kissed my forehead. "I know, baby. I'll be there for you."

"Not in math… you're not there when Lauren is there." Tears brimmed the edge of my eyes just at the thought of her.

"I know, it's hard. But sometimes you just have to remember that people aren't always going to understand you… me… us." He laughed softly, playing a few chords on his guitar. "People throw rocks at things that shine."

Huh. I guess that people do.

Maybe they don't know what to think of it, and the only thing they can think to do is put it down. To make fun of it. To disapprove. That's our judgmental society for you. People jump to conclusions before they even know what happened.

I snuggled closer to Edward, realizing that there were tons of rocks that were going to be thrown at me tomorrow.

**All done! I really do love that quote… "Don't you worry your pretty little mind, people throw rocks at things that shine". It's basically the theme of this story. It's from a song called, "Ours" in case you were wondering. Anyway… thanks for reading! And please, please review. (:**

**Xoxo,**

**Twilight37 **


	10. An Hour of Sanity

**Alright guys. So… I just found out that this is my most popular story… and that over four thousand of you have read it; almost two thousand of you check it regularly (in March)! Whoa! You do not know how much that means to me. THANK YOU! THANK YOU SO MUCH! Sorry, I had to spaz out for a moment… anyway, here's the next chapter. (:**

_BPOV_

That night, I slept restlessly.

As hard as I tried, I couldn't find the energy to fall asleep. Though my eyes were closed, my mind was wide awake, thinking about things that I would rather have not thought about.

Even when I finally did drift into sleep, my subconscious state continued to haunt me with hellish, demonic nightmares, not only about the day ahead of me, but of the evil hospital that I always find myself in.

At five o'clock, I gave up, and forced myself out of bed. I wandered silently into Edward's bathroom and once the door was closed behind me, I ripped the shower curtain on and turned the water on as high as it would go.

A long, hot shower was exactly what I needed.

The water woke me up physically. Emotionally, I had been awake for hours. Physically, my body felt achy and tired. Even in the warm water, chills from the cold outside air shot up my back.

I stared at the blank tile, not knowing to think.

Today was going to be one of the most difficult days of my life. Everyone knew what had went down on Saturday - you'd have to be living under a rock not to know. It was on the news for Christ's sake.

It wasn't so much as that people knew, but it was more of what they thought of me.

I turned off the water and wiped the tears that were streaming down my face before I wrapped a towel around myself.

I dried body and brushed my hair, and with the towel still around me, I walked back into Edward's empty room. I picked up the pile of clothes that Alice had left sitting out for me.

She had picked something that I would have worn, rather than one of her choices. I pulled on the dark wash jeans and the carefully pulled the grayish-blue shirt over my head. My wet hair left water stains on the fabric, not that I cared. It was just water.

Downstairs, I heard the clatter of people walking up; footsteps in the hallway, cabinets opening. Taking it as my cue to join everyone else, I quickly made the bed, and went downstairs, the smell of coffee hitting me like a heat wave as I opened the door.

"Bella." Esme said. "Good morning. I made some breakfast; toast, scrambled eggs, and either tea or coffee. What would you like?"

The way she worded it made it sound like I had no other choice.

"Um, a little bit of eggs… two slices of toast… and some tea, please." I asked her, not in the mood to argue over something as stupid as breakfast. And besides, my baby needed it just as much as I did.

She fixed my plate and handed it to me. I took a seat and the table and ate slowly.

"Edward, Alice!" She called. "Come downstairs! You're leaving in an hour!"

An hour of sanity was all I had left.

The two of them both came down, both dressed and ready to go. Alice wore a black skirt with a hot pink top. Not a hair out of place, her makeup looking absolutely perfect. She had a messenger bag resting on her hip, which seemed to go with her outfit perfect.

Edward, on the other hand, dressed a bit more casually. He wore a light blue polo with jeans. His bronze hair looked messy, as usual, and his green eyes looked hazy in the morning light.

I took a sip of my tea and smiled as Edward sat by my side, eating from the plate in front of him.

"Alice, are you sure that's not too short?" Esme pressed.

"No, mom. It's fine." She mumbled, irritated as she grabbed her breakfast plate and shoved toast into her mouth. Someone was obviously not in a good mood this morning.

The rest of breakfast was very uneventful. Everyone was talking, but I couldn't hear them. Not even if I had tried too could I have. I was too nervous and anxious to eat, so talking was out of the picture.

I sat in silence, picking pieces of my food and chewing, but not tasting.

"Bella?"

I snapped my head up and saw Edward standing by my side, holding his hand out, his black backpack slung over his left shoulder.

"Are you ready to go?

Anxiety shot through my heart as I stared up at him, nodding. Realizing that I wasn't going to move, he grabbed my hand, squeezing it tightly, and led me out of the kitchen and to his car.

Esme called behind us, wishing the three of us a good day as we got into the shiny Volvo, and Alice into her Porsche. She had never driven to school with Edward.

The drive to school seemed to go by so quickly, more quickly than usual. My breathing deepened as Edward parked the car and pulled the key out of the ignition.

He turned to look at me, and held my face in his hands.

"Everything is going to be alright." He kissed my forehead softly. "You know that I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"You can't stop them from thinking." I whispered. "And you can't stop them from talking."

His mouth lingered by my ear. "Watch me."

I closed my eyes and nestled my head against his neck. He wrapped his arms around me reassuringly, occasionally kissing my cheek, and whispering words of encouragement.

"I think I'm ready." I said softly.

"You sure?"

"Mhm."

He pulled me away from him, kissed me on the lips, and got out of the car. I pushed my door open and stood up slowly, looking at the group of kids who walked in and out of the school.

I froze.

Edward was by my side, holding my hand. "I'm right here. It's going to be alright, Bella."

I nodded slowly and took my first step towards the school.

As we walked through the doors, I looked around slowly watching as people went along with their days. My eyes met the eyes of others for a brief moment, and then they went back to doing whatever it was they were doing.

Yet, I still felt as though their eyes burned into my back as I walked away.

I stopped at my locker, with Edward standing not too far behind me. As I grabbed my English book, someone tapped on my shoulder. I turned, and found none other than Angela Weber smiling at me.

"Hi, Bella." She told me. Her voice was quiet, like it normally was. Through her round glasses, I could see the sorrow in her eyes. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry about what happened."

I nodded.

"But, here's a list of your makeup work. And I managed to talk to the office and their not going to count your absences." She told me, handing me a list and some papers. "Here are my notes and homework… you can copy them if you'd like."

That was so sweet of her. She was probably one of the only people in school who didn't think I was terrible.

"And I have something else as well…" She said, a little more excitement in her tiny voice. "Turn around."

I turned and found Mike, Eric, and Tyler standing behind me holding a big basket. My cheeks flushed bright red as they handed it to me, yelling surprise. I held it to the side as the four of them all gave me a small hug.

"You guys… this is so… unexpected." I told them, my voice breaking into an awkward laugh.

Mike shook his head. "Bella, we're your friends. We've always got your back." His eyes flickered to Edward, who was now leaning against the solid black locker.

I smiled and held up the basket. "I should probably get to class now, but thanks again."

They all waved as Edward and I walked to first period together. So far, things had been going fairly well. A couple of people had told me that they were sorry about what happened, a few others gave cards, and some people who I didn't even know smiled at me.

Plus, in English we watched a movie purposely so that I could start catching up on my makeup work, which wasn't too much, especially with Angela's notes.

And to think that I thought people would hate me.

The bell ran, cuing that first period was over. The teacher flipped the lights back on, nearly blinding everyone, and opened the door. I put all of my papers back in my binder and walked side by side with Edward, who walked me to my next class, which is something that he rarely does anymore.

He held onto my elbow and kissed me softly on the lips before he ran off.

"Slut!" I heard someone call in-between coughs.

I didn't even have to turn to guess who had said that. Not knowing if I was angry or upset, I walked into trigonometry, not looking at a single soul.

I opened my binder and started working on the warm up, of which I had no idea how to do.

"So, Bella…" Lauren said, sliding into the seat next to me.

I ignored her, and scribbled onto my paper.

She sighed and knocked my binder off the desk. I glared at her, pissed off by the smirk on her tan face.

"What do you want?" I spat between my teeth.

"Oh, nothing… I just wanted to know what's like to have a boyfriend who only loves you for your ass." She snickered. "I still can't believe that he would actually sleep with someone like you."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Edward Cullen's baby… huh." Lauren thought for a moment. "That would have been one pretty baby. Except for the fact that it would look you too." She rolled her eyes.

"But, that's not -"

"Oh, shut up, Bella. You know that it's true." She leaned in closer. "You're just another pathetic, little _whore_."

Jessica was soon by her side, smirking just as wickedly as she was.

"It was probably the best for the world that your baby died. We don't need the daughter of a whore walking around - and an ugly one at that."

Tears stung my eyes as the two of them laughed bitterly. Their voices echoed in my ears, ringing louder and louder why the second.

"Oh, is the poor baby going to cry?" Lauren asked, pinching at my cheek.

"I'm still pregnant." I said softly.

"What's that? I couldn't hear." Jessica added, cupping her ear.

"I said I'm still pregnant." I said loudly. A few people turned to look at me, shock filled in their big eyes.

Jessica and Lauren looked at each other for a moment before they busted out laughing once again. Lauren put her hand on my shoulder and looked at me very seriously.

"Bella, you don't get it, do you?" She asked, as though I were oblivious to everything. "Nobody believes the slut who cries wolf."

The whole class was laughing now. Laughing at me… laughing at my baby. I wanted to scream.

I am not a slut. I am not a wore. And I am not a baby.

Not being able to take another moment of the teasing and the laughing, I grabbed all of my books and ran out of the room, fighting tears the whole way there.

I ignored the words that Lauren continued to scream at me. I just ran. I ran down the hall, out of the school, in the parking lot… to Edward's car.

Yanking the door open, I sat in the passenger seat and put my head against the leather seats of the car. Tears were pouring down my cheeks uncontrollably now. There was no stopping it.

My whole body shaking, I turned the radio on, and cried even harder as I heard the familiar lines echo through the car:

_Don't you worry your pretty little mind, people throw rocks at things that shine…_

Everything was going to be okay.

Everything was going to be just fine.

**And… end chapter! I hate Lauren. Haha, wow. You know a character is horrible when the author even hates them… what do you think should happen next? Review, review, review!**


	11. Take Away The Pain

**I'm back with the next chapter! It's been about a week since I've updated, sorry! Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter… I appreciate it. (:**

* * *

><p><em>BPOV<br>_

"What do you think about this?" I asked Edward, pointing to a picture of a book shelf in a furniture magazine. It was Thursday night - the same night that Lauren had insulted me to the point of breaking down - and I was in Edward's room, laying on his bed with my feet kicked into the air.

He leaned over my shoulder. "It's nice, love. But five hundred dollars for a book shelf?"

"Damn." I blew a piece of hair out of my face. "I'm becoming more and more like Alice every day."

Edward chuckled and kissed me lightly on the cheek.

Tomorrow was the day that Edward and I would move into our own little house behind the Cullen mansion. I had been in once, but it was dark, so I could hardly see a thing, but I imagined a cute, little cottage in the middle of an enchanted forest.

It would be a lovely home. We would have our own furniture, our own rules, our own memories… my hand absentmindedly floated down to my stomach.

At almost three months, I'm finally starting to show. My belly has a little bump to it, which is obvious if I wear tight shirts. I can't help but smile every time I touch it.

"Don't you think you should be in bed?" Edward asked, resting his hand on top of mine.

I cranked my head to look at him. "I'm not tired. I'm too excited."

He smiled. "I am too, but tomorrow is going to be a crazy day. You and the baby need sleep. Don't you think?"

Leave it to Edward to, once again, use the "for the baby" move on me. For the baby this… for the baby that. It's like he can finally use something against me to make me do things. Not that I could fight back, because it was true.

Taking a deep sigh, I closed the magazine and dropped it on the floor. Then, cuddling into Edward's soft blankets, I shut my eyes.

"That's my girl." Edward murmured, brushing his lips against the side of my face.

Every night, he stayed by my side loyally until I drifted off into sleep. In the morning light, he was always gone. I had no idea where he went, or where he slept, even. All I knew was that he was gone.

"Edward…" I said. The lights had just been turned out and I was already getting sleepy.

"Yes?"

I yawned out loud. "I love you."

I could feel him smiling beside me. "I love you too."

* * *

><p>Going back to school was like my own personal hell.<p>

Lauren made fun of me all day and called me all kinds of names. People stared at me in the hallways - some sympathetically, some psychotically. To them, I was just the girl who was stupid enough to get herself pregnant.

The day had already gone by slow enough, and to make matters worse, Edward had track right after school for two hours. Which meant that I would be all alone until four in the afternoon.

I wanted to hit my head against the wall.

On the way home, I tried to distract myself from thinking. But no matter how hard I focused on the color of the trees, or the license plate of the car in front of me, I was truly lost in my own thoughts.

I pulled my truck over, and pulled the keys out of the ignition.

I really wonder about people sometimes. I wonder why they feel the need to hurt other people. Is it because they're that insecure? Or they just don't understand?

Sometimes, it's hard with everybody not knowing the truth. It's hard knowing that everybody thinks your just another slut.

"But that's not me." I whispered, shaking my head.

I put the keys back into the ignition, and turned the car around, going in the opposite direction of the Cullen's house. There was something that had to be taken care of.

Driving down the familiar road, and recognizing all of the houses, anxiety built in the pit of my stomach. My fingers gripped onto the steering wheel, leaving nail marks. I took a deep breath as I pulled into the driveway.

I slowly walked up the doorsteps and took a deep breath before I pulled the door open.

Everything was exactly as I remembered it. The table as still in the center of the room, and the kitchen still had the clean pots and pans sitting by the sink. My school pictures going back to kindergarten still hung around the room.

I walked up the staircase, and walked down the hall until I reached a familiar white door. I put my hand on the doorknob and pulled it open.

Everything was untouched and exactly the way I left it.

Not knowing how much time I would have until Charlie got home, I grabbed a big, black bag and started throwing things into it. I knew that I wouldn't be able to get everything, so I threw in as much as I could; my clothes, my books, some of my pictures…

I grabbed a pen and a piece of paper, and quickly scrawled onto it:

_Dad,_

_I'm sorry that things turned out the way that they did. I really wish that you would listen to me so that you could understand why I'm doing what I'm doing. I miss you so much and I wish that you at least would have wanted to be in my daughter's life. _

_~ Bella_

_P.S. I took some of the stuff from my room, in case your wondering. I didn't want you to think that somebody robbed you._

Without looking back, I put the note on the table and walked out of the door, not a single regret on my mind. What was done was done. As much as I miss my dad, what he did was irrational, and he deserves to know.

I climbed back into my truck and drove to the Cullen's house, where Edward would be very soon. Esme wasn't home, probably at the store, and Alice was out and about with her friends.

Knowing that he wouldn't mind, I started taking his clothes down from his closet and folding them down. There was no way that he was going to let me handle all of the heavy furniture, so I took on all of the light, easy things.

Once I had finished his closet, I heard the front door fly open.

I poked my head out of the door. "Edward?"

No answer.

I rolled my eyes and started making my way down the stairs. "Very funny, Edward."

Once again, I found that there was no answer. The only sound was me walking through the enormous house, calling out to my 'disappearing' boyfriend.

"Edward it's n- "

Just then I saw someone standing in the family room. I let out a bloodcurdling scream as the man stood, his muscles literally popping from his shirt. He turned quickly, obviously not expecting me.

My eyes were wide open with fright as he approached me, coming out of the dark room.

"What the hell was that for?"

"Oh… uh, hey, Emmett." He stared at me. "I thought you were someone else…. Where's Edward?"

Emmett laughed. "You're insane. Edward told me to stop by and help the pregnant lady with the furniture while he went to pick something up."

My cheeks flushed bright yet. The pregnant lady? First I completely humiliate myself by accusing the poor guy as being some intruder then he gives me a new nickname.

He clapped his hands together. "Let's get to moving."

Edward and I hadn't really discussed whose furniture we were using, but it would make more sense to use his. I really did want to use my own bed, but sometimes logic is more important than what we want.

As earlier today, I put all of the little things into the boxes that Emmett brought over. Even as I packed I thought about my old room. My bed, my dresser, my things…

I sighed,

"What's wrong little sister?" Emmett asked. He stopped taking the bed apart and came over to stand by my side.

I shook my head. "It's nothing…"

"Not buying it." He said. "You can tell me anything, I'm practically your big brother."

"And I'm practically your little sister." I added with a smile.

"Exactly! So, tell me what's wrong." He commanded in his deep, yet reassuring voice.

I told him how I missed my old room and my things. "It's not that I don't like Edward's stuff… because I do… I just…"

"Are you crying?" Emmett asked, chuckling.

I put my hands into fists and started up at him with an evil gleam in his eyes. He put his hands up in response. "Okay, I'm sorry. Don't kill me."

I had to laugh at that. Emmett could be so silly sometimes.

"Do you want me to go by your house and get your bed… and dresser?"

My face lit up. "You would do that?"

He nodded, his blue eyes smiling or him. "What are big brothers for?"

Not being able to control my happiness, I wrapped my arms around him, jumping up and down. Like brother, like brother, he rolled his eyes, just like Edward, and hugged me back.

After telling him where the key was, Emmett told me that he would be back in the next hour or so with all of my stuff. I waved as he pulled away in his massive Jeep.

Checking the time, I realized it was a little past four.

And as if planned, the garage door rumbled open.

"Edward."

I ran over the garage, and waited in the doorway. He stepped out of his Volvo, looking tired in his shorts, tennis shoes, and a short sleeved shirt.

"Hey." I said, standing on my tiptoes to kiss him as he walked by.

He reached his arm back as he walked by, grabbed my hand and pulling me into the living room. We stood by the couch staring at each other.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Oh, nothing, I just wanted to see you more clearly."

I bit my lip and took a step closer to him, resting my head against his chest, listening to his erratic heartbeat. He held me close to him, his hands on my upper back, while his forehead pressed against mine, his eyes closed.

"I'm excited." I whispered, my lips barely moving, but my words somehow echoing.

"As am I." Edward whispered back, his green eyes opening.

I pulled back and walked up and Edward, as though reading my mind, followed. Edward helped me finish packing of the clothes, CD's, movies, and everything else. We sealed them all into boxes and waited for Emmett to come back with my things.

Not only would they have to move the bed and dresser, but Edward's piano as well.

"You're not mad, are you?" I asked out of the blue as we sat in Edward's box-filled room.

"Mad? About what?"

"About me wanting to using my bed in the new house…"

Edward chuckled and put his arm around me. "Of course I'm not mad, Bella. I'm going to do whatever you want to do."

"So if I wanted to paint the entire house… oh, I don't know… black per say…"

"As long as there are no cobwebs."

"Or coffins." I added, laughing. "But, no. I don't want the house to be black. That would be… crazy. I was thinking maybe some creamy whites, and light blues."

Edward nodded. "That sounds nice. And it'll look good with our bed." He told me, kissing the told of my head.

Our bed. I loved the way the way that he said that.

The two of us wandered around the empty house, waiting for Emmett to come back. I was terrified that he would get back too late and we would have to wait yet another day to move in. Or worse, Charlie would throw a fit and not let him so much as step into the house. It was the longest two hours of my life.

Just after six, we heard honking outside, followed my Emmett's booming voice yelling for us to come and help him. I grabbed Edward's arm and we both walked outside together.

Emmett was leaning outside of his red truck, his arm resting on the window, which was rolled down. "Sorry it took so long. This stuff is heavy."

"Did you have any problems with Charlie?"

He shook his head. "He seemed a little… surprised, but he didn't seem to care too much. Or if he did, he didn't show it."

My heart broke a little bit at that, but I pushed it aside. There were bigger and more important things to worry about.

There was only one last thing that needed to be moved into the back of the enormous car, and that was the piano. Very slowly, and very carefully, the two of them somehow manage to bring the piano to the car, not a single track on the black wood.

Emmett secured it into the back with some straps and tugged on it to make sure it was safe. "Looks likes it's good to go. I'll drive it over there now. You two lovebirds will have to walk… there's no room in the car."

"That's alright." Edward said, taking my hand,

We watched as Emmett slowly drove away in the direction of the house.

"This is so exciting!" I called out as we walked, a cheerful bound to my step. "I can't believe it… our own little house. This is so amazing."

Edward swung our arms back and forth. "It's another big step for us."

Though it was twilight out, in the dim light I saw him quickly glance down at my belly. My cheeks flushed, and I took a step closer to him. He slid his hand away from mine and put his arm around me.

In silence, we walked to the house, where Emmett was parked.

There was just enough light outside for me to finally get a good look at the house.

Big, white, the Victorian styled cottage was just as enchanting as I had imagined. The purple, white, blue, and pink flowers and beautiful oak trees surrounding the house making it just as alluring as I had remembered. I found myself staring into the huge windows as we walked up through the wet, green grass and onto the front door step, which was hidden by a stone wall.

Just as I was reaching for the doorknob, I felt the floor fall under me. I let out a surprised gasp when I found that Edward was holding me bridal-style, smiling my favorite crooked smile.

"Thresholds are part of my job description."

"Since when?"

"… now."

I laughed quietly as we walked into the house, Edward flipping on the lights as we stepped in. He set me back down on my feet, and watched as I admired the home in awe.

Everything was just as magical as I had remembered it.

Suddenly, I could see a lifetime going on in this house. I could our baby taking their first steps. I could see myself cooking dinner in the kitchen while Edward watched a movie. I could see Edward and I cuddling on the couch next to the fireplace.

My mind flash forwarded, and I could see everything.

I was so awestricken by the house that I hadn't even realize Edward had left my side until I heard him and his brother taking the pieces of the bed into the house.

Of course, Edward refused to let me so much as touch anything ("for the baby" was his excuse again), so I sat on the floor and twiddled with my fingers until they had finished putting together the bed, and brought in the dresser and piano.

"Thanks so much for helping out." Edward said, as the two of them walked out of the room. I jumped up and trailed them to the front door.

"Anytime, bro." He patted him on the shoulder. "I'm really happy for the two of you."

Edward nodded and my cheeks burned.

"Bye, guys." He said, walking out of the door. Edward closed the door behind him, and we were finally alone.

I took a deep breath through my teeth and stood up on my tiptoes.

"I know that we just got settled in and everything, but… I really need to take a shower." Edward admitted sheepishly.

"I never thought that two things of furniture, a piano, and a guitar was considered moved in but… alright." I teased.

He laughed. "I'll be back in ten minutes."

Then I was alone.

Alone to wander through my beautiful new house. Alone in my own thoughts. Alone to think, to worry, to wonder.

In an attempt to distract myself, I started folding clothes in the room that Edward and I would be staying it. The walls were already a creamy white, with stone surrounding the sliding glass door which led to our own private porch. Along with that, there were wooden beams across the ceiling, which conveniently matched the furniture.

The closet was just big enough for the two of us to hang up all of shirts, and our jeans, pants, and everything else fit snugly into the dresser. Edward's stuff was on one side, and mine was on the other, which worked out perfectly, especially since I had never used all of the drawers in the first place.

Edward still wasn't finished by the time I was done with the clothes.

Sighing, I decided to check my phone. Picking it up, I noticed that I had a new voicemail. I put the phone up to my ear and stood by the window, staring out into the darkness.

'You have one new voicemail.'

I rolled my eyes at the robotic voice and waited for the message to play.

_Bella, I got your note. I don't know what happened to me. I was just so angry that I did what I needed: to get you out. It was wrong of me to leave you all alone like that. It was wrong of me to give my responsibility of you to the Cullens.  
><em>

There was a silence.

_Emmett came by earlier to get your furniture. I can't believe that - well, never mind. I owe you and… Edward … an apology. I'm going to swing by tomorrow morning around eleven. I'll see you later Bells._

'End of message. If you would like to repeat this message -'

I hung up and sat on the bed completely emotionless.

Charlie… Edward… new house… new baby… without even realizing it, I began hyperventilating.

"Bella?" I heard someone say. "Oh dear God, Bella what happened?"

Edward was suddenly by my side, his hand against my forehead. "What's wrong?"

I fumbled with my phone, flipping it open and putting the message on speaker phone for the both of us to hear. When it was finished, I put my head in my hands and tried to remain calm.

Not another word was spoken.

Edward stood up and took off his shirt, handing it to me. Being the gentleman that he was, he turned away as I kicked my jeans and t-shirt and pulled the shirt over my head.

"I'm done." I mumbled.

He walked back over to me and pulled the blankets over my body. This time, though, instead of laying on top of the blankets, he crawled underneath them, right next to me. He switched the lamp off, and wrapped his arms around me.

"Do you think he knows about…" I put his hand on my stomach as I whispered.

"There's only one way to find out."

I closed my eyes and tried to focus on Edward; his warmth, the softness of his breath, the delicacy of his touch… I turned around so I was facing him and pulled his mouth against mine.

It was obvious that he was taken aback at first, but he quickly threw himself into the kiss.

I needed to feel something. I needed something to take away the pain and confusion I was feeling on the inside. It was wrong of me to do that - to use him like that- but he was the only one who could do that. He was the only one who I loved enough, who I felt so much for that he could thoroughly distract me.

The only one who could subside the loss of my first baby, and make the confusion of my father go away.

I let him pull me closer, and let passion captivate the night.

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><p><strong>Long chapter! It would have been up earlier but we drove down to Jackson and spent the whole day there… anyway, I hope you liked it! Maybe I can hit 100 reviews this chapter… ;)<strong>


	12. For The Love of a Daughter

**Oh, wow! One hundred reviews. Thanks so much guys! This really, really, really means a lot to me. I don't really know how else I can repay you other than posting the next chapter… but it's a beautiful Saturday evening, I'm sitting outside, and I'm ready to write.**

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><p><em>BPOV<em>

Waking up was like a whole new world.

I opened my eyes to a different room. While my bed felt the same, it felt weird with Edward by my side. Yet, at the same time, it felt right.

Change was never something that had come easily to me, but lately, a lot of change has been thrown my way.

With his arms around my waist, I had no room to escape. So I just sat there, staring out of the window with the sun shining through, thinking about today.

I didn't know what to think about my dad.

He and my mother had had problems when I was younger; to the point of her running away with me in the midst of the dark night. I know that he loved my mom. And I know that he loves me.

But he kicked me out. He left me when I needed him the most. The one that I looked up to and loved left me in a state of pain and confusion. And no matter what he says or does, there is nothing he can do to take that back.

"Bella?" Edward spoke softly.

I squeezed my eyes shut and turned on my back, my right arm behind my head.

"Bella!" Edward said, alarmed now. "What's wrong?"

I shook my head, tears streaming down my face. "My dad… I'm just scared, and so confused. I don't know what he wants, or what he's going to say, or do." I cried. "You saw how he reacted last time. What do you think he's going to do about this?" I clutched onto my stomach.

"Don't think like - "

"My own father doesn't want anything to do with my baby."

I sat up in bed and ran my fingers through my hair. Edward sat up besides me and held me in his arms. He kissed the side of my head and ran hands up and down my arm. I rested my head in his chest and cried.

We sat like this for what seemed like forever.

"I'm sorry." I whispered after quite some time.

"For what?"

"For acting so unreasonable." I admitted. "I feel so stupid for crying like this."

"You shouldn't." He told me. "You have every right to feel this way."

I turned my head and kissed him lightly on the lips. Once… twice… and again. He twisted his fingers through my hair and pulled me closer to him. I moaned as he pushed me on to the bed and passionately crashed his lips against mine.

I found myself laughing at our random make out session.

"What's so funny?" Edward asked as he kissed my neck.

"How cute you are when you're in the mood." I giggled.

He looked up at me and smiled my favorite crooked smile. His green eyes were playful and happy. "Oh really now?"

"Yes." I said, looking up at him. "But it's alright, because it only makes me love you more." I leaned up to kiss him again.

Edward laughed and rolled his eyes. "I love you too."

"Of course you do." I teased, pushing onto his chest. "Get up, I have to go take a shower. And no… you are not invited."

"Damn." He answered jokingly.

"You can go make me breakfast instead." I commanded him. "Chocolate chip pancakes."

"Yes ma'am." Edward smiled.

Taking advantage of the only alone time I would have today, I grabbed my bag of toiletries and skipped off into the bathroom. I turned on the water as hot as it would go, and stepped in.

The water was hot at first, but I eventually adjusted to the steaming temperature.

Knowing that I would have to look presentable today, I soaked my thick hair with shampoo. While the conditioner sat on my hair, I shaved my legs.

"Dammit!" I called out when I sliced my leg with the razor sharp blades. Turning off the water, I hopped out of the shower, trying not to stare down at the blood gushing down my leg.

I pressed a washcloth against the cut and held it there, watching in agony as blood diluted the white cloth. After cleaning it with rubbing alcohol, which stung, and putting a band-aid on the long gash, I got dressed.

Something presentable.

Since there weren't many dresses in my closet, besides the few that Alice had forced me to wear, I pulled out a lace tank top paired with a knee-length baby blue skirt and a brown belt.

I fluffed my hair before I walked out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind me.

"Hmm. Are those pancakes I smell?"

Edward smiled, pushing a plate across the kitchen counter. There was no table in here yet, or any other furniture for that matter so we would be eating either on the floor or standing up.

I took the plate and leaned against the wall as I ate.

"You look nice." Edward commented, walking towards me.

I rolled my eyes at him and continued to eat my breakfast. It had been a while since I had eaten pancakes. Me and my stupid cravings.

"No, really, you do." He pressed. "You should wear lace more often."

"The next time I go shopping I'll buy a closet full of lace just for you." I said sarcastically, shoving the last bite of pancakes into my mouth.

"I'll hold you onto that."

Rolling my eyes once again, I put my plate into the sink and washed it off. There was a dishwasher, but not enough dishes to run it. After cleaning it, I put it back into the empty cupboard.

It was ten thirty now, which meant about thirty minutes until my dad came.

I took a deep breath trying to hold myself together. Edward, seeming to sense my discomfort, put his hand on mine and smiled.

For the next thirty minutes, I paced around the house.

Into the bedroom, out of bedroom. In the living room, out of the living room. In the kitchen… on the patio… around the house. I walked every square inch of my new home.

He would be here any second now.

I twiddled with my fingers and anxiously stood by the front door. Then, out of no, there was a very unexpected knock on the door.

I jumped and looked over at Edward with wide eyes. He held my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. After looking into his hopeful eyes, I pulled the door open.

There stood my dad.

Staring at his curly, dark brown hair and into his chocolate brown eyes, I instantly saw myself. Though, behind the familiar features, I saw something else. I saw the huge bags underneath his eyes, and the tired, frail look on his face.

He stood awkwardly at the door, wearing a long sleeved blue shirt and jeans.

"Chief Swan." Edward said. "Why don't you come in?"

My dad nodded his head and stepped inside, raising on eyebrow. "There's no furniture?"

"Um, no, not yet." I cleared my throat. "So what did you want to talk about?"

He took a step forward, and, he too, cleared his throat. "I wanted to apologize for the way I acted. It was terrible, but you have to realize that that was a big decision for the two of you to act. And I was mad that you made a decision that big without talking to me. I trusted and believed in the two of you."

"That doesn't give you the right to kick me out. When I'm ready for something, then I know I'm ready. It wasn't a mistake." I told him.

"And now I realize that, but I don't want you pulling a stunt like this ever again"

I looked over at Edward. I knew that this would happen. I knew that there was no way he was ever going to approve of me… us… our daughter.

"Dad, I - "

"Bella, I'm serious. I know that you're smart and responsible, but this is not something that someone your age should be taking on."

"Dad, please let me - "

"I love you to death but you know that - "

"I'm pregnant."

An immediate silence overtook the room. Edward squeezed my hand once more as we watched my dad's expression. He looked shocked at first, then angry.

"You're what?"

I looked at Edward. "I'm pregnant."

I explained how that after the miscarriage had happened, another baby had survived. There had always been two babies, and we had miraculously managed to keep one of our angels.

"I'm three months along now." I finished with a smile.

My dad walked towards the two of us, his eyes locked on Edward. My heart stopped in my chest as his breathing increased heavily. "What the hell did you do to her?"

"Dad!" I yelled as he pushed Edward away from me.

"What did you do?"

I reached for my dads arm and pulled him away. "If you have a problem with my baby, then take it up with me. Because I'm just as responsible for this as he is."

He gritted his teeth.

"And you may not think I'm ready for this, but I know that I am. And after kicking me out, you really think that you should get a say in my decisions?"

His face fell slightly, and after a moment of silence he spoke. "You're right."

I nodded.

"That was just me blowing up again." He bit his lip. "I'm not saying that I approve of this… at all… and it's going to take some time for me to get used to this."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"I'm not really sure, Bella. It's a lot to take in."

Things hadn't turned out exactly as I had planned, but that didn't go for the worst. And as my dad walked out of my house, I held onto Edward's arm waving goodbye, wondering what was going to go down.

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><p><strong>Shorter chapter, I know. What do you think should happen with Charlie? <strong>


	13. Save This Dance

**Well hey there! It's been a while (I know, don't kill me!), but I'm back and ready to write! Thanks to all of you who reviewed and gave me suggestions. It means so much to me! Well… I hope that you enjoy this next chapter. ;)**

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><p><em>BPOV<em>

The minutes were soon turning to hours, then hours to days, and days to weeks. Time was flying by so quickly that I barely even had time to comprehend what was going on around me, and there was a lot.

For starters, I was pregnant, and that alone was already enough of a hassle. My dad wasn't sure if he wanted to be in my life or not. My spot as valedictorian was on a thin rope, my life is full of bitches like Lauren, and I was getting ready for my senior year of high school.

Sometimes I just want to shoot myself.

But when I had time, there were things that I did to relax. Now that I had an entire house to myself, I could lounge around with Edward and enjoy the peace. I found myself reading, and even writing now, more than usual. And sometimes, I even tried drawing.

On this particular Saturday morning, I sat in my room with my swollen feet kicked up in the air, flipping through yet another home décor magazine. Eight days of being in this house, and Edward and I had yet to buy paint, let alone furniture.

I love the house and everything about it, but living without furniture sucks.

Edward had went out to go buy food and, hopefully, get a job. All week we had been discussing the financial crisis we were in - which sounded funny at the age of seventeen. The two of us had gone back on forth about what to do, and finally settled on him working. Summer was just weeks away, and it would be easy for him to get a small job to get some money.

I had offered getting a job as well, but Edward told me no. He had, as usual, said that it was best for both the baby and I to rest. And, as usual, there was no point in arguing with him because he was right.

What was I going to do with myself all summer? Without Edward, there was nothing to do.

My phone vibrated next to me. I closed the magazine and looked down at the caller ID - which read Alice. I debated whether or not to ignore her, but decided against it. She practically lived with me now.

"Hey."

"Hey, Bella!" She called out, sounding like her normal perky and cheerful self.

"Did you need something?"

"I mean, I'm just a little bored." She sighed. "Did you want to walk on over or something? I really need someone to hang out with."

I blew air into my cheeks. "I don't kn -"

"Or we could go to the mall, if you'd rather do that…"

"Going over to your house seems like a wonderful idea. I'll be there in five minutes." That seemed liked heaven compared to the torturous idea of being dragged around the mall for hours and hours on end.

Alice chuckle from the other line before she hung up.

I patted my stomach three times and slowly ran my hands through my hair before I pulled myself off of the comfortable bed and over to the Cullen mansion.

Alice met me halfway through the wet, morning grass and grabbed my arm eagerly.

"What are you doing?" I asked, as she dragged me inside.

She didn't answer. She just dragged me up into her room and shut the door behind her.

Alice's room suited her personality very well.

The floors were a light hardwood. There were three windows on the far side of the room, which was shaped like an oval. One wall was a bright hot pink, while the other three were a soft, creamy white. Her bed was huge, bigger than mine, was circle shaped with pink sheets. Black and white accents were hidden across the room, balancing the bright pinks.

She rummaged through her drawers until she pulled out a small bag and threw it onto the bed, where I was now sitting.

"What is that?"

"Nail polish. I thought we could do nails… watch a movie… just chill out." She said with a small smile. "What movie do you want to watch?"

"Anything's fine… as long as it's not sad. Or scary."

"A comedy it is then." Alice laughed and popped in the movie Grown Ups, which I had never seen before. I sat back quietly and watched as Alice painted a shimmering blue color on my toes.

I had to try not to laugh during the movie, which was very difficult.. Every time I so much as chuckled, Alice would accidentally get paint all over my foot, and she'd have to start all over.

Obviously frustrated, I bit my lip and tried my best to not pay attention.

"Sorry." I told her as she screwed the lid back on the polish.

"Don't apologize yet." She said. "I still have to do your fingernails!"

The two of us both laughed as she pulled out another color, a bright white, and grabbed my left hand. She worked cautiously on both my hands until they were both done.

While my toes shimmered bright blue, my fingers were the perfect French manicure. I had only gotten a French manicure one another time with some friends, and it looked absolutely terrible.

Since then I had refused to go to a nail salon.

Alice, on the other hand, was a salon of her own.

Once the movie was over, we both went downstairs to get something to eat. Luckily Esme had fixed up a small snack, so we sat at the table and talked.

I'll admit, it felt nice to have a normal time with friends. So many people have been blocking me out at school and around time, that it seems like I barely have anyone to talk to.

The guy who sits behind me in AP History doesn't ask for paper anymore, the girl who I used to smile at in the hallways looks at me with an eyeful of rejection. My favorite teachers don't treat me like they used to.

It hurts, but it's friends like Alice and Rosalie who makes me feel better. They make me feel something that I haven't felt in a while - normal.

"So, now what?" I asked as I popped another chip into my mouth.

"Well, I got some new makeup that I've been dying to test out…"

I groaned and threw my head back.

"Oh, come on, please? It's been forever since I've gotten to play Bella Barbie…" She pleaded, then leaned closer. "Come on, you know you want to…"

"Oh, fine!" I cried out in defeat. "Just nothing too drastic."

She clapped her hands together and ran up the stairs. I followed shortly behind her, and walked into her massive bathroom, of which I would be trapped in for hours and hours on end.

Following the now regular routine, I sat down and closed my eyes as Alice worked her magic.

Alice has always been interested in cosmetology. Even as a little kid, she would steal her mom's magazines and idolize over the women's hair and makeup. Now that she's seventeen, going on eighteen, she takes cosmetology classes at school, and designs her own things (often using me as her model).

I shouldn't complain, but I do.

I sit in her spinning chair and complain like there's no tomorrow. Sometimes, I do it just to annoy her. Other times, I do it out of pure self annoyance.

But, one way or another, my makeup gets done.

Today, she did something different from usual. More than likely inspired from a picture or magazine article, she had done elegant, yet simple makeup.

My eyelashes were long and dark, framing my chocolate brown eyes perfectly. Eyeliner traced the top and bottom on my eyes, and midnight blue dabbed around the insides of my eye. My complexion looked smooth and flawless; cheeks rosy red; lips soft and red like win.

I leaned forward and touched my face, almost as though to make sure the girl looking back in the mirror was really me.

"Oh, Alice, wow… this is ama -"

"No! I'm not done yet." She reminded me, stubbornly. "I haven't even started on your hair yet. But don't worry, I'm only straightening it. It'll only take a few minutes."

I groaned as she held the flat iron to my head and held out the first strand of hair. But she was right. A quick fifteen minutes later, everything was over, and she was motioning for me to stand up.

"What?" I asked as she opened the closet door and pulled out a plastic bag, throwing it at me. I flinched, and caught by the tips of my fingertips.

"What in the hell is this for?"

Alice shook her head. "Just put it on."

"But -"

"Bella, don't argue with me. Just put it on, please."

My cheeks burned bright red as I locked myself in Alice's room and unwrapped the plastic bag. Inside was a dress - a long, pale blue, strapless dress. Slightly confused, I slowly, and carefully pulled the dress on.

I looked in the mirror, surprised by how much I loved it on me.

The material was soft and silky. The top was tight, tight enough to show off my tiny baby bump, until bottom, where it twisted and flowed into a beautiful ruffle. I rested my hands towards my side and smiled.

Just then, someone came up behind me, covering my eyes with a blind fold.

"Don't try to escape." Emmett said. "We're just taking you somewhere.'

At this point, I didn't even argue. I was too curious to fight back. I wanted to know what everyone was up to… what was going on! He held onto my hand and slowly led me downstairs and outside. We walked for what seemed like ages, until we suddenly came to a stop.

I heard the sound of the a door opening, followed by Emmett pushing me lightly forward into the doorway.

"Can I look?"

There was a pause. "And… now!"

I yanked my blindfold off and found myself staring into another world. The room was familiar; in fact, I immediately recognized the brick walls, beams on the ceiling, and even the floor. But the whole thing had transformed - Christmas lights strung from the walls, the fireplace was lit, and the lights throughout the entire house were dimmed.

Standing at the other end of the room was the love of my life.

"Edward?"

He nodded and walked towards me. Taking my hands in his, he pulled me toward the center of the room and placed his hands on my hips.

"What is this?" I whispered.

I hadn't even noticed that music was playing until now.

"Well…" He murmured, slowly swaying back and forth. "I know things have been crazy for you lately, so you've been missing out on a lot lately. But I thought that prom was something you might not want to miss…" Edward winked at me.

Suddenly, everything made sense.

Edward leaving this morning… Alice inviting me over and making me over….

"Oh!" I gasped out loud. "Our own special prom?"

Edward nodded. "Just for you and I."

I smiled inside and out, and pulled myself even closer to him. I heard him chuckle as he rubbed my back slowly and lovingly. I couldn't believe that everyone had worked so hard to put this all together… just for me.

Tears fell from my eyes and fell onto Edward's back.

He pulled away to look at me. "Are you crying, love?"

I nodded slowly.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong…I'm just…" I laughed at myself. "I'm just so happy!"

Edward laughed along with me. "Silly girl."

"You silly girl."

He smiled and caressed my cheek softly, pulling my lips to his. I kissed him passionately, yet slowly. With his lips against mine, everything seemed perfect, and everything seemed right.

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><p><strong>I will be posting tomorrow! Partly because it's been forever since I've updated, and partly because it's none other than Mother's Day tomorrow! ;)<strong>


	14. The First Time

**Long time no see, eh? I'm updating again, just like I promised! Thanks to those of you who reviewed last chapter… there were quite a few of you! This chapter is in dedication to Mother's Day and will have some insanely cute, or what I consider insanely cute, moments between Edward and Bella!**

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><p><em>BPOV<em>

Sleep had always been one of those things that had felt like heaven - or as close to heaven as I was ever going to get to for a long time.

My subconscious mind was free to think of whatever it pleased. And while it had been scarring me with hellish nightmares in the past, my more recent dreams have been happy and sweet.

Edward was in them a lot. His beautiful green eyes shimmered in the sunlight as he walked towards me. He rested his hands against my stomach and smiled right at me…

Every night, I would have that dream.

Sometimes I would pick up on details I had missed the night before, like the glistening water crashing against the soft sand… or the warm breeze that blew my hair in the mind… everything felt so vivid.

At times, I even found myself waking up confused as to why I wasn't standing on the beach anymore.

I had planned on sleeping in this Sunday, and enjoying the rest of this already glorious weekend by lounging around the house in comfortable clothes. But the sunlight pouring in through my window obviously had other plans.

I groaned softly and opened my eyes slowly.

Leaning up against my arm, I looked around, instantly noticing that Edward was gone. I sat up- the blankets clumping between my legs - confused.

The house was freezing and my boyfriend no where to be found.

Just as I was about to call his name, I noticed a small piece of white paper sitting in his place. Even more bewildered than before, I picked up the note and studied his elegant script:

_Bella,_

_Take the rob on the bed post, and look on the floor. Follow the path, which will lead you to more…._

"Robe?" I mumbled, and snapped my head back and forth, quickly scanning the room. Sure enough, there was a light blue robe hanging on the bed post. I leaned over and grabbed it, and slid it on. The soft cotton felt amazing against my skin.

I kicked my feet off of the bed and look down at the floor.

There was a trail of roses leading out of our bedroom. I walked quickly, the cold hardwood freezing my toes.

At the end of the hallway, I found another note lying on the floor. Taking advantage of the cute little scavenger hunt, I eagerly picked it up and read it:

_I know that you're cold, so turn on the fire…_

I raised on eyebrow and walked over to the fireplace. It was a gas fireplace, so I turned it on with ease. Sitting on top of the mantle was a familiar piece of white paper. I smiled and grabbed it, reading it quickly.

_Now go to the window, for just one more surprise. Follow the roses into the kitchen for your breakfast rise and shine!_

Rise and shine? I had to laugh at that. Someone was obviously running out of rhymes.

Rolling my eyes, I ran over to the huge window by the front of the house. There were no curtains to pull back, or even blinds to yank out of the way, so I peered out of the glass and gasped.

Walking in through the side door were a group of men, all carrying furniture! Two carried a couch, another carried a table, some carried chairs, another with a desk…

I put my hands over my mouth in complete shock.

He had actually done this? He had went out and bought furniture?

Still not comprehending what was going on, I walked into the kitchen, and found none other than Edward instructing the workers were to put things.

"Edward…." I said, breathlessly.

He smiled my favorite crooked smile and walked towards me.

"Do you like it?"

"Like it? I love it!" I told him honestly, his smile widening as I spoke. "But what is all of this for?"

He held up one finger and grabbed something from the counter behind him. He pushed it towards me, the smile never escaping from his lips.

It was a plate; a plate filled with chocolate chip pancakes. Written sloppily with whipped cream were the words: "Happy Mother's Day!'. Dark chocolate chips danced along the white cream, only making it look even more delicious.

"Edward… you shouldn't have!" I said. "You really do spoil me too much. I'm sure Alice had something to do with this."

He shook his head. "Nope. This one was all me."

Wow.

He had gone out of his way, without the suggestions thrown at him by friends and family, to make me happy. He did this just for me,

Being the emotional pregnant woman that I was, tears dabbed at the edge of my eye.

Edward chuckled and walked over to me, pulling me into a tight hug. He rubbed my back and kissed the side of my cheek.

"I love you…"

"I love you too, love." He said. "But there's still another surprise."

I pulled back. "But, Edward -"

"Not if, and, or, or, buts." He interrupted me, tapping the tip of my nose with his long, pale finger. "I think you're going to like this. Come on."

We maneuvered our way through the workers who continued to move furniture into the desired locations. Edward held onto my hand and led me back into our bedroom. The trail of roses remained on the floor, and the bed was still unmade.

In the corner of the room sat a book shelf. It was a beautiful - the distressed oak was somehow calming, and the elaborate designs that danced across the top made it all the more better. There were three shelves that had enough room for twenty, if not thirty, on each one.

I stared at it for a moment, then realized that it was the book shelf I had pointed out in that magazine weeks ago!

"Edward Cullen!" I gasped.

"I thought you would like it." He told me, squeezing my hand.

My throat tightened as I turned to look at him. Tears once again welled in my eyes. I bit my lip and wrapped my arms around him.

"Thank you so much…" I sniffled.

"Anything for you, Bella." Edward said. "And anything for our baby."

The two of us both looked down at my stomach. I was smiling, and for some reason, even though I wasn't looking at him, I knew that he was too.

Edward pressed his hands against my stomach like he always did when we shared moments like this. I closed my eyes and relaxed as he ran his hand up and down my pregnant belly.

Suddenly, he stopped.

"Edward, what's wrong?" I asked, worried.

"Did you feel that?" He whispered.

"Feel what?"

He grabbed my hand and pressed it against the top right corner of my stomach. There was a tense silence, until I suddenly gasped out loud.

"Oh!"

There, on the side of my stomach, was a tiny fluttering. It was short, and ended just as it began, but there was for sure a movement.

My baby had just kicked for the first time.

I didn't know what to say. I just shook my head, my brown eyes wide with excitement.

I had a new sense of hope and fate for our future. For my baby. For Edward. For myself.

Everything was going to turn out just fine.

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><p><strong>This was a short chapter, but it was supposed to be! The next few chapters will, hopefully, move the story along… I'm really excited! Hope everyone had a fantastic Mother's Day!<strong>


	15. But Mostly Kissing

**Um, so, I'm pretty sure you guys hate me for taking so long to update! But I'm on summer break now… yay! But I'm going on vacation for a week so I won't be able to update for a while! ): I'm going to try and get two or three chapters done this weekend. Try, that is. We'll see how things go!**

**Oh, and by the way… there's going to be a lot of "baby fluff" in this chapter. Hope you don't mind! ;)**

_BPOV_

"Miss Swan… how are you today?" My doctor asked as I walked into the small doctors office.

Things had been going great in the past few weeks. The baby had been continuing to kick, Edward got a job at the only sports store in Forks, and the two of us had just finished off our junior year, which meant one thing: we were seniors.

We would be living the last year of our high school lives together. Different from all the other kids in our grade, but I didn't care. In a matter of months, the only thing that had kept me going these past five months would be here.

"I'm doing great." I told her with a smile, watching from the corner of my eye as Edward walked in behind me.

"That's great." Dr. Askew told me. "Why don't you lay down up on the bed and we'll check you on out. We're here for your five month visit, right?"

I patted my stomach. "Yes ma'am."

Edward helped me up onto the uncomfortable, lump bed and stood beside me once I was situated. The thin paper crackled underneath me every time I so much as moved my arm.

While she got all of the tools together and set up the monitor that sat at the foot of my bed, Dr. Askew asked me some questions.

"Have you been experiencing any pain?" She asked. "Anything you feel the need to tell me?"

I thought for a moment and looked at Edward as I spoke. "Sometimes my back aches a little bit, but that's it." Then onto the good news. "We felt the baby kick!"

"That's great! You're right on track." She winked. "In the next few months you should be experiencing some more symptoms… cravings, which you should have already; swelling, heartburn, fatigue…"

I nodded.

"I'll give you guys a list of things to look over up to delivery." Dr. Askew told us. "But let's check this baby out! Did you bring the blank tape?"

"It's in my bag." I told Edward who ran over to go get it.

Dr. Askew had told us that we could bring a blank tape to record the ultrasound of the baby. We'd made a routine of bringing it every time we had an appointment so that we could go back and watch all of them at once. Watching the progress of our baby grow sounded so fascinating and wonderful. I couldn't wait for this baby to pop out so that I could watch it.

He handed her the tape, which she put into the monitor. Then after turning off the lights, she walked over to me, and started the ultrasound.

"Oh, that's cold!" I exclaimed, fidgeting a bit, making the paper crumple.

Edward chuckled and reached over for my hand. His eyes were glued to the screen five feet away from us.

Dr. Askew put the small tool on my stomach, I had no idea what it was called, and smoothed the gel across my skin.

"We're going to get to listen to the heartbeat today." She told us. "It'll sound like a train."

The two of us were immediately silent. Edward squeezed my hand as I braced myself for the sound of my baby's little heart.

The moment I heard it, I threw my hands over my mouth in shock. Tears flooded my eyes as I heard the loud, muffled sound of my child's heart. It was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard.

Looking over at Edward, I could see the joy in his eyes too. As much as he tried to hide it, tears glistened at the corner of his eye.

It was at that moment that I knew he was going to be an amazing father.

I had known he would be a good father before, if not then we wouldn't be here today. But watching him cry over the sound of his unborn child spread a feeling of unconditional love throughout the room. It was unbearably sweet.

Dr. Askew smiled when the sound suddenly cut off. "Oh, looks like he moved. You said that he was kicking…has been doing it a lot?"

"Hm. It happened for the first time a few weeks ago… and, yeah, now that I think about it, it has been happening a lot lately. Is that bad?"

She shook her head. "No, it just means that your baby is happy."

My baby was happy.

Well my baby should be; he has a mommy and a daddy who love him very much.

"Now onto the ultrasound!"

Dr. Askew pulled out a whole new set of materials, and after squeezing more gel onto my bulging stomach, the three of us stared at the screen.

It was amazing how much the baby had grown since the last time had seen.

Everything was so much clearer now! The tiny little head was resting on the right side of the screen. The tiny little hands were in front of the face, and the tiny little feet were pushed against the edge of the womb… _my_ womb.

'I'm glad that you're a happy little baby' I thought to myself. 'I can't wait until you get here. I already love you so much.'

"This baby looks very healthy!" Dr. Askew exclaimed. "Strong heartbeat… developing amazingly… I think that you're good to go."

She turned the lights back on and started pushing all of the equipments back into the desired places. As she worked, she spoke.

"Now I know that Forks doesn't offer any, and I normally don't suggest this to my patients, but have the two of you considered taking Childbirth Classes? I only ask because you two are younger than most of my patients. I think it would be a good idea."

Edward and I looked over at each other.

"Where's the closet one offered?"

"Seattle." She answered. "I know it's a long drive, but it's only once a week. I have an information packet if you want to look into it."

I shrugged. "Sure."

She handed us one. We wished a goodbye and walked out of the office. With Edward's arm around my waist, I studied the brochure as I walked.

It was only thirty dollars per months, which I figured wasn't too bad. That rounded the final cost to about $120. It was a doable price, but I'd have to talk to Edward about it. As far as I was concerned, it seemed like a good program. They talked about the home births, comfortable positions in labor, what to do when in labor…

Things that would be worth while, and worth the money.

"I think it would be a good idea to do this." I told Edward as we walked out of the automatic doors.

"Really?" He asked. "Can I see it?"

I handed him the brochure, which he skimmed through. "I think it seems like a good idea. We'll have to see."

"But you'd consider it?"

"Of course, love." He leaned over and pressed his lips against my forehead. "Anything that makes you happy."

I sat with my hand on top of my stomach the entire ride home. I had finally been able to freely expose my round stomach. During the remainder of the school year, I had done my best to wear bigger and baggier shirts to hide my belly.

It was hard. Very hard. And for the first few months of my senior year, I would have to hide my stomach too, which hardly seemed fair.

Everyday, I wished that I could show the school my belly. Tell them about my baby, and smile whenever someone would tell me "congratulations!". But I couldn't. The truth is, people are judgmental. And if their going to treat me a certain way for the things that I _want _in my life… then they don't deserve to know what's going on in my life.

It was a decision that Edward and I had made together.

If someone asked, I would tell them. Other than that, why should they be all up in my business? There was no need for the drama. Stress isn't good for the baby anyway.

Once at home, I kicked my shoes off and sat on the couch.

"Chinese for dinner?"

I nodded. "As always!"

Edward and I had made a tradition of eating Chinese food and snuggling on the couch after coming home from a baby appointment. We usually put on a movie, but we rarely watched it. Most of the time we went kissing, or talking (but usually kissing).

So, while I picked out a movie that we weren't going to watch, Edward ordered the food.

Coincidentally, as soon as he hung up with the Chinese restaurant , the phone rang again. I had assumed it was the take out place again.

"It's the doctor." Edward said slowly.

I froze.

"Hello?" He answered. "Yeah… okay… she's right here." Edward motioned for me to walk over. When I was standing by his side, he clutched onto my waist and put the phone on speaker.

"Bella?"

"I'm here."

My heart was about to explode. Doctor's only called when they had bad news. What had gone wrong? What was wrong with my baby?

I squeezed my eyes shut.

"Gosh, I normally don't do this, but I can't believe that I forget to tell you the sex of your baby!" My eyes flew open. "You're have a…."

**Mwuhaha. ;)**

**Review or I'll never tell you the sex of the baby! Just kidding, but seriously… a boy or a girl?**


	16. City Life

**Oh my god! I haven't updated in forever… or it feels like forever. I'm in Disney World so I've been gone all day, sleeping for only five hours or so, and I haven't had any time to update. So, I'm sorry about that! But, I'm trapped in a hotel room for tonight, it's raining, and Pretty Little Liars is about to start (the perfect time to write), so I'm going to update. ;)**

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><p><em>BPOV<em>

"Bella, are you almost ready to go?" Edward asked.

It early Sunday morning, five in the morning to be exact, and Edward and I were about to drive all the way down to Seattle to try out a session of Childbirth Classes. We had spent hours discussing it and had finally decided that it worth trying it at least one time.

So, here I was, wearing my yellow sleeveless dress that made my tummy pop, in the early hours of the morning getting ready to leave.

I looked around the living room, making sure we had everything that we would need: purse, wallet, and paperwork.

"Yup, I think we're good to go."

Edward held open the front door, and rested his hand on my waist as I walked by. We walked over the Volvo, which engine's was already on.

I took my seat and immediately got comfortable; we had a long three hour drive ahead of us.

After the class, Edward and I had planned on spending the rest of the day in Seattle. There was no point in driving all the way up there to only stay for an hour or two then drive right back. We were planning on eating brunch and maybe getting some shopping done.

But the car ride was dedicated for sleeping and sleeping only.

I rested my head against the cold, glass window and closed my eyes, quickly drifting off into sleep….

"_Edward!" I squealed, running away from him as he kicked a wave of water at me. He laughed and continued to chase me down the hot, sandy beach._

_It was a perfect day._

_There was a salty breeze to the balmy air, and not a single sole was to be found on the beach. It was just Edward and I. Just knowing that made me happy and complete._

_Being much faster than me, Edward wrapped his arms around my waist and flung me over his shoulder. I screamed and hit his back playfully, trying to suppress laugher from escaping my lips._

"_Put me down!" I demanded, still laughing._

"_What's the magic word?" He pressed. I could see the smirk on his face as he spun me around in a circle._

_I sighed. "Please?"_

"_There you go!" Edward said, setting me back down on my feet. _

_It took me a minute to regain my balance, but once I did, I stared him down with a playful gleam in my eye. _

"_You are so going to pay."_

"_Oh, really now?" He grinned._

_I jumped up onto his back and rested my head against his shoulder. _

"_You call this payback?"_

_I shook my head. "No, this is called I'm too lazy to walk. And besides - " I stopped in mid-sentence. "Did you hear that?"_

"_Hear what?"_

"_Shh. Listen."_

_We were both silent for a moment. In the distance, there was a high-pitched sound; almost like a cry. I pulled myself off of Edward's back and followed it, with Edward trailing shortly behind._

_As we neared the sound, we both slowed, our bare feet padding against the sand._

_There, laying on the sand, was a little baby boy. His porcelain skin looked soft and delicate; his lips red; he cried softly, his eyes squeezed shut._

_I looked over at Edward, a look of shock clearly written all over my face. I walked over to the tiny thing and held him in my arms…_

"Bella… we're here." Edward called, shaking me lightly.

I groaned, opening my eyes. Sure enough, we were parked outside of a small, brick building with a sign that read _Laura's Childbirth & Maternity Classes_.

I was angry. Why couldn't I continue my dream? I wanted to know what happened next.

In a bit of an irritated mood, the both of us walked into the building hand in hand.

Standing behind the front desk was a woman with messy, blonde hair that was piled up on her head in messy bun. She wore a low cut red shirt and tight, black sweatpants.

"Hello!" She greeted. "My name is Laura, what can I do you today?"

"Hi, my name is Edward Cullen and this is my girlfriend, Bella." He looked over at me. "I called earlier about taking a class this week just to test it out."

She nodded, and typed into her computer. "Okay… Edward and Bella Cullen?"

"Bella Swan." I corrected.

"Oh…" She called out. "Sorry about that one… how old are you?"

"Both seventeen." Edward answered. "I'm almost eighteen."

Laura nodded and typed into her computer some more. "Alright. Just go on back into that room and join everyone else in a circle. We'll be starting in exactly five minutes."

We thanked her and walked into the back room hand in hand.

Sure enough, there was a room full of pregnant women with their husbands all sitting in a circle. Most of them looked older, or older than me at least; five to ten years older, actually. We took a seat next to a girl with long black hair and bright blue eyes, with her boyfriend sitting right behind her.

As we got closer, I realized that, like Edward and I, they were younger.

I think that Edward noticed them as well, because his eyes flickered from me to them with enthusiasm. I smiled and squeezed his hand.

Laura soon walked in, clapping her hands together.

"Good morning!" She called out, standing in the middle of the circle. We all echoed her words. "Now… we have a few new couples this morning, so why don't we all introduce ourselves?"

Each of us went around telling our names. There was a Katie and a Cody, Ashley and a Logan… the younger couple beside us introduced themselves as Violet and Dylan.

Laura clapped her hands together again - something I was beginning to think she would be doing a lot - and smiled, holding a stack of papers in her hands.

"Okay, class, today I thought we'd cover the basics of home births." She spoke as she passed the papers out. "Which can be a very tricky subject…."

The piece of paper was filled with bullet points, long paragraphs, and even a few pictures. I looked over at Edward and raised both of my eyebrows before diverting my attention back to the teacher.

"As I was saying, home births can be a little tricky. Some people prefer them, and others prefer hospitals. While the hospital is much safer, home births are often more comfortable for both mom and dad."

She scanned the sheet for a moment before looking up at us all again.

"But before you decide to do a homebirth, there are things you're going to need. For instance… a midwife. A midwife is someone who can, and will, assist you during your birth. As for what you need during the birth, you'll really just need something to cover the furniture.

"Now, during a homebirth, there will be no strong medication for the pain. It's all natural. So, to help during that - if you guys would just flip over the page - " everyone in the room flipped the page as she continued to speak "we have some natural remedies. Heat packs, some light food, hot tea… even aromatherapy, like lavender candles or oils for massages. Some women even take bathes to relieve labor pains."

I took in a deep breath. Was I the only one getting a headache from all of this?

"Okay!" She clapped her hands together. "This is the fun part… labor positions!" Laura laughed. "Of course, there is no perfect position for labor, but by frequently changing positions, you can help control your pain. Everyone stand up for the first position!"

For the next forty five minutes, we all went over labor positions. There was everything from swaying back and forth, to rocking, to kneeling, to being on your hands and knees. Some of the positions were awkward, and you would only want to be in them if you were in labor.

"Well, class, that's about it for today!" Laura said. "What we didn't cover in person is on the sheet. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call and ask! I hope t see you all next week. You're dismissed!"

Edward and I both looked at each other and smiled. He helped me up, and after I stretched my now aching back, we walked back to the car.

"Where did you want to go to eat?"

I shrugged. "Somewhere that's not too far of a drive. I'm so sore from sitting down for so long."

He chuckled and reached over to put his hand on my stomach as he drove.

Edward pulled into the first restaurant that we saw, which just so happened to be, of all places to eat, Hooters. I sighed heavily, although I honestly didn't care. At this point, food was food, and walking around seemed better than anything else.

We were greeted by a preppy looking, blonde haired waitress who wore the tiny orange shorts and white tank top that all Hooters Girls wore. Her hair was up in a high ponytail, and she looked like she was wearing five pounds of makeup.

"Hi, welcome to Hooters!" She greeted, her eyes flickering over to Edward appreciatively. "How many?"

"Two." He said, grabbing my hand.

The girl shot me an immediate death glare before her eyes flickered back over to Edward.

"Okay, just this way!"

She skipped over to an empty table, though the restaurant was empty itself. She took our drink orders, then left us in silence.

I leaned across the table and folded my hands over Edwards, the smell of food instantly lifting my food. "I think the waitress thinks your cute."

He laughed. "You think so?"

I nodded, and winked. "She's not the only one."

Edward lifted up my right hand and kissed it lightly. My cheeks flushed bright red as his kisses trailed up and down my arm.

The waitress, as though watching from afar, popped in with our drinks, interrupting our moment. Part of me was irritated with me, but the other part could care less. He was mine and only mine.

"I hope that you two got a chance to look over the menu." She looked at Edward, and only looked at me to shoot the occasional death glare. "What would you like?"

We both ordered wings. Say what you want, but Hooters has the best wings known to man.

She walked away and turned our orders into the kitchen.

"What stores were you wanting to look in?" Edward asked me.

I shrugged. "Maybe we could see if they have a baby store around. I'd like to buy some baby clothes for myself before we tell Alice what we're having and she goes insane."

Edward chuckled. "Good idea, love."

We finished our lunch, with more flirting from the waitress, paid, and left. Walking down the streets of Seattle was much different than Forks. Their were more people, more cars, more noise, more life… in a way, I kind of liked the busy city world. It was different from a small town, where everyone knew your business. In the city, no one seemed to care. Everyone did their own thing, and that's all that mattered.

We walked for a little while until we found a store that sold baby clothes, and walked right on in.

All of the clothes seemed so tiny. It was almost impossible to believe that someone could be this small. Thinking about it made me even more anxious for our baby.

"What about this?" I asked Edward, handing him the warm, soft, fuzzy onesie.

He touched the material. "That's soft… I think the baby will like it."

I nodded and hung it over my arm just in case we decided to buy it. As I looked through more clothes, I felt someone bump into me from behind.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" A small voice called out.

I turned. "Oh, it's fine!"

I recognized the bright blue eyes in an instant. We both stared at each other for a moment, the two of us realized that we had met earlier.

"Don't tell me… Bella?"

"Yes!" I said. "You're Violet, right?"

She smiled and brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes. "From the baby the group earlier… you and Edward."

I nodded.

Obviously too shy to say anymore, she nodded her head as well before she went back to her shopping.

Up close, she was much pretty than I had thought. Her pale face was framed by freckles that danced along her cheeks, long, dark hair, and strikingly beautiful electric blue eyes. She was tiny, with the exception of her stomach, which wasn't even too obvious, seeing as how she was a loose shirt.

Not finding anything else that I liked too much, I walked back up to Edward and showed him the outfit.

"I like this one the best."

He kissed my forehead and smiled. "Good, because I do too."

At the checkout counter, the old woman smiled at me as she put the onesie into the bag.

"How far along are you?"

I rubbed my belly and answered with a smile. "Five months."

"Congrats to you both, and have a lovely Sunday."

Edward and I both thanked her as we walked out of the baby store.

We spent the rest of the afternoon together, enjoying every last moment of it. Edward bought me some t-shirts to wear once school started back up again in August, and some things just to wear around the house. We shared a drink at Starbucks and window shopped for hours on end.

By the time we finally made it back to the car, I was dead on my feet.

Once we were back on the interstate, I looked over at Edward. "I think that we should tell everyone about the gender of the baby."

"That's probably a good idea. When?"

"Well… I had an idea for that." I told him. "We could have a baby shower, and the cake could reveal the gender. Pink for a girl, blue for a boy. That way, everyone finds out at the same time."

"I think that's a fantastic idea." He said. "But do you think Alice will go along?"

"Let's find out." I pressed, pulling out my phone and dialing her number. She answered on the fifth ring.

"Hey Bella! How was the baby meeting?"

I cut the small talk and jumped straight into my plan with the baby shower. She listened patiently as I explained.

"That's cool but… how can I decorate if I don't know the gender!"

I sighed. "Use mutual colors."

"No! That's no fun!" I could just see her stomping her foot. "Just tell me if it's a boy or a girl!"

"Nope!" I teased. "You'll figure something out!"

Before she could answer, I hung up, laughing victoriously in my head. Bella Swan has, for the first time, gotten her revenge on Alice Cullen!

I looked at Edward and smiled. "Looks like we're having a baby shower."

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><p><strong>I know, I'm such a tease! I should just tell you if it's a boy or a girl already! But, I'm not… all will be revealed NEXT CHAPTER! So tell me what you want - a boy or a girl?<strong>

**P.S... if anyone wants to help me design a cover for this story (new feature on fanfiction!) that would be GREAT. Just message me or let me know in a review. (:**


	17. The Big Secret

**Well… this is it - the big moment you've been waiting for - THE CHAPTER WHERE YOU FIND OUT IF THE BABY IS A BOY OR A GIRL! Pretty exciting, huh? Well, I'm not going to bore you with some intro like I usually do… I'll just let you get to reading. ;)**

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><p><em>BPOV<em>

"So, how are the ideas for the baby shower coming along?" Alice asked as we walked slowly down the aisles at Party City. The baby shower was exactly one week from today, and it was time to start sending out invitations.

"Well…" I said, my voice drifting off.

Rosalie laughed on the other side of Alice. "I told you that she wouldn't have any ideas. No offense, Bella, but you're hardly the party type."

She was right. I'd rather be curled up on a couch reading a book then out partying on a Friday night. I usually just awkwardly stand by the food table at parties.

"Lucky you for I have the most perfect idea." Alice said, grinning from ear to ear. Without either of us asking her what her idea was, she went on to explain it. "A mystery themed baby shower… since you're saving the big question for the cake." She rolled her eyes.

She went on to explain her idea. The whole thing was based off of a mystery (the big question being: Boy or Girl?). There would be scavenger hunts for clues as well as 'evidence' hidden around the house, all of which Edward and I would be responsible for making.

I think it was her way of getting revenge at us for not telling her if it was a boy or a girl.

Unique? Yes.

Complicated? Very.

I soon came to realize how difficult the logistics of it were. And with Edward at work all day, I had left figuring it all out by myself. Half of the time, I ended up crumpling up the piece of paper in tears from being so frustrated. That's hormones for you.

I did have a few ideas up my sleeve, but nothing that was too spectacular.

I had contemplated calling someone to come over and help me figure it out, but then I remembered that everyone who I would have asked to help was either busy or didn't talk to me anymore.

And anyway, it was my baby shower. I wanted to do this myself.

"Ugh." I groaned, pulling myself very slowly from the couch and to the kitchen for a glass of water. I sloshed the water in my mouth and sighed.

I had three days to figure all of this out.

This was going to be a very long three days.

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><p>The day of baby shower had came without warning.<p>

On that Sunday morning, I pulled myself out of bed in the early hours, and silently crept over to the Cullen's mansion to help Alice begin to set up.

She was already awake and dressed, looking as though it were the middle of the afternoon. I, on the other hand, looked horrible: tired, irritated, and pregnant.

"Morning, Bella!" Alice chirped.

I glared at her.

She frowned. "God, I was just saying good morning…"

"I need caffeine…" I complained, reaching for the cup of coffee that sat on the kitchen table. It was steaming hot and smelt just as amazing it would taste.

"No!" Alice cried, yanking up the cup right before I grabbed it. "Are you insane? Pregnant women aren't supposed to drink coffee!"

My eyes narrowed. "Alice. Coffee. Now."

"No." She said stubbornly.

She was unbelievable! First she makes me get out of bed god knows how early to come set up for this dumb baby shower and then she won't even let me drink my usual cup of morning coffee!

Alice left the room, with the coffee in her hands, and came back with the bags of decorations that we had bought last week at Party City. There was everything from balloons, to streamers, to table clothes, to decorations…

"What do you want to start with?"

Still agitated with her, I was tempted to ignore her, but that seemed extremely childish. Instead, I sighed and looked at her. "I don't know… gift bags?"

We started stuffing the gift bags with both blue and pink candy, thank you cards, as well as random little toys. Even though everyone invited was over the age of seventeen, I still thought it would be a cute thing to do.

After finishing the gift bags, we hung streamers around the entire downstairs. I struggled on the ladder, and I know that Edward would have a heart attack if he saw me, but if I didn't help it would never get done in time. Alice also strung Christmas lights around the deck outside while I took a minute to rest my swelling feet.

It took a while to get everything done, but once twelve had rolled around, everything was done, with the exception of the clues.

Alice left me alone to set that up while she picked up the cake we had ordered.

The first clue would be handed to people as they walked in, sort of introducing the whole thing, and telling them what they would be doing for the next three hours.

Alice and I had set up a few tables with games, and the winner of each game would receive another clue as to what the baby was. It had hard figuring out clues that would give people hints without completely giving it away, but, in the end, I had figured some out.

Once I had finished setting up the clues and evidence, I walked back home, my feet aching the entire way there. Edward was sitting in the living room, and he smiled at me as I walked in.

"Did you have fun?"

"No." I said, frowning.

"Why not?" He asked, turning off the television and walking towards me.

"Because I hate decorating!" I sniffled. "And my feet and back hurt from walking around and hanging things up…"

Edward helped me sit down and kneeled in front of me, resting his hands on my knees. "I'm sorry, baby. Is there anything I can do to help?"

I let me head fall against the pillow that was on the couch. "Let me suffer in silence."

I could have sworn that I heard him chuckle, but I couldn't be sure. He kissed me on the top of my head and left the room. I waited until his footsteps were gone and the sound of our bedroom door had closed before I drifted off into sleep…

_A familiar darkness filled the small, cold room I was trapped in. I tried to find the light… the good, and the happiness, but there was none. There was nothing but evil._

_My footsteps echoed in the dark._

_I found myself running and screaming for help, but there was nowhere to go. I flung myself against the floor in a panicked rage._

_Where was I? What was I doing here? How had I got here?_

_"What do you want!" I screamed to the darkness._

_A light flickered on behind me. I gasped, still sitting with my legs crossed on the floor, and squinted towards the unexpected light._

_"Hello?" I asked, my voice suddenly weak. "Who's there?"_

_A silhouette stepped forward. I could make out the faint outline of a doctor's coat as well as a stethoscope hanging from the figures neck. Though I could barely see him, I could sense him smirking, and mocking me._

_The sound of a heartbeat echoed throughout the room._

_"What do you want?" I screamed again as he walked towards me._

_The closer he walks, the lighter everything seemed. I scrambled backwards until my back was pressed against the wall._

_He had changed from earlier, that I knew. He wore blue scrubs and bloody stained, white gloves. In his right hand, he held a razor sharp scalpel. The man kneeled before me and pulled back the paper mask the smiled behind._

_"I'm here to help you." The demented Edward told me in a sickening voice. Without another word, he shoved the scalpel deep into my stomach…_

I screamed.

My breaths came out as heavy panting. My eyes were wide open with fear, my veins shooting adrenaline.

Edward came running in from our bedroom, and was soon by my side.

"Bella!" He called out, frantically. "What's wrong?"

I shook my head. "Nightmare."

Edward's face suddenly softened, and he pulled me close to his chest. Though I felt safe in his arms, I couldn't get the vision of the demonic Edward out of my head. It disturbed me.

I knew Edward wouldn't, and wasn't even capable, of doing something like that.

"You love me, right?" I whispered.

"Of course I do, Bella." He told me.

"And you'd never hurt me, right?" I pressed. "Or the baby?"

Edward pulled me back to look me in the eye. He raised his eyebrow. "Of course not…! Where are you going with this?"

I just shook my head. "I just wanted to know."

I think he still had more questions, but if he did, he dropped it. He kissed me lightly on the forehead and told me to start getting ready for the baby shower.

Alice had, of course, picked out a dress for me to wear, and had left it sitting in my closet for weeks now. She had told me not to look at it until the day of the baby shower, and I respected his proposition. Pulling the light box out of my closet, I rested it on my bed and took a bath.

I prefer showers, but it's a pain to stand up in the shower with my belly being so big. I don't want to have to worry about falling every time I struggle to pick something up.

I washed my hair and even went to the extent of shaving my legs.

After draining the tub, I dried my body off, smoothed lotion on my body, and changed into the dress that Alice had picked out for me.

It actually wasn't too bad.

The dress was a comfortable, white cotton material that fell just above my knees. The neckline was a not too revealing v-neck with ruffles, that matched the short sleeves. It made my belly look like I was nine months pregnant rather than five, going on six.

I swiped on some lip gloss and left my hair as it was before putting on the black sandals Alice had also left out.

"Edward! I'm ready to go." I called as I walked out of the door.

He was standing in the hallway, looking just as amazing as he always did. He had changed from earlier, probably when I was in the bath, and was now wearing khakis and a black button down shirt with the sleeves pulled back to his elbows.

"You look beautiful." He told me, grabbing my hand.

My cheeks flushed bright red.

Edward and I showed up at the Cullen's with half an hour left until the party started. Alice had music playing softly, and food set up on all of the tables.

"The guest of honor has arrived!" Emmett exclaimed as I walked in, clapping for emphasis. Rosalie rolled her eyes behind his back.

"Hey, Emmett." I said.

"Hey pregnant lady." He winked.

Rosalie and Esme both came up to give me a hug, while Jasper trailed Alice around the house like a lost little puppy. Most people would have hated that, but he didn't. I could tell by the look in his eye that she was his world.

On the kitchen table were a stack of presents. I sighed heavily. When will these people learn that I hate when people buy me gifts?

Soon, the rest of the guests began arriving. There was Violet and Dylan and Katie and Cody from the baby group down in Seattle, as well as Laura herself. It was nice of them all to come from so far away.

Alice handed people the first "hint" as they walked in, as well as to all the other Cullen's who were already in the house.

Once everyone had arrived, we started with the first game that Alice had set up, which just so happened to be "guess the mommy's tummy size". Everyone was given a ball of string, which they had to cut to fix the size of my stomach.

Emmett, of course, being the goofball he was kept coming up to my stomach and putting his hands on both sides so he could measure it accurately.

I laughed every time he did it.

"Do you want to feel the baby kick?" I asked when he came back for the third time.

He bit his lip and looked at Edward as though for approval. I laughed when he nodded and put Emmett's hand on the right side of my stomach. We sat in silence for a minute until he finally cried out loud:

"Holy shit!"

"EMMETT!" Rosalie cried in horror.

"No cussing in front of the baby!" Alice scolded him.

"I'm sorry… it's just… oh my god! That's so WEIRD!" He called out. "Rose, you have to get pregnant now. I want to feel a baby kick your stomach."

She slapped his on the back of his head.

Everyone laughed, and soon everyone was begging to feel the baby kick as well. After everyone had successfully felt my little darling kick, we finished the game. Much to Emmett's defeat, Edward ended up being the winner.

He stood in front of everyone and read the first clue. "Sugar and spice and all things nice, or snips, and snails, and puppy dog tails? Win the next round and the answer will be found!"

The next game just so happened to be "baby trivia" which ended up being really fun. Alice had gotten a bunch of baby facts from online and even gotten a little buzzer for each group. Edward and I both read the questions aloud for people to answer.

"What percentage of babies actually arrive on their due date?" I asked.

Laura buzzed in. "3% - 4%."

"… correct!"

The game continued on for the next twenty minutes, and it was funny to see peoples reactions to some of the questions; like the heaviest baby being twenty three pounds, and how men, on average, are quicker at changing diapers than women.

Laura won that round and unlocked the next hint.

"Like father like daughter, like mother like son…" She began, "What will Auntie Alice do if I hate shopping, but love to run?"

Alice's cheeks burned bright red.

We spent the next hour playing games, winning hints, finding evidence; I'll have to say that Alice sure did come up with some creative games. Except for "pin the sperm on the egg"… that one was… interesting.

Alice wanted up to open presents before gave the big announcement, so Edward and I both sat around the kitchen table with a stack of gifts by our side.

She handed us the first one, which was from Laura. I opened it while Edward rested his hand on my shoulder.

It was a book, What To Expect When Expecting. I held it up for everyone to see and thanked Laura for buying the book for us. Alice took it from me and set it in a separate pile.

The second gift was from Violet and Dylan, and it was a gift card to Babies 'R' Us, which would for sure come in handy. We really needed to start buying more clothes and things for the nursery that we hadn't even started on yet.

"I thought it would be nice. I go there a lot." Violet said, softly. "They gave everything from clothes to cribs… it's helpful to find everything in one place."

I smiled. "Thank you."

From Katie and Cody, a gift card to a store named Gymboree. Emmett and Rosalie got some toys that would work either a boy or a girl, and from Alice, we got a blanket. It was white and just about the softest thing I had ever felt in my entire life.

"Alice… it's beautiful."

She smiled. "I made it myself. And once you pick out a name for him… her… whatever it is, I'm going to sew the name into it."

My eyes widened. "Wait… you made this?"

"Do you like it?"

I felt tears dab the corner of my eyes. I hated being so emotional sometimes, but I was just so happy right now. As much as Alice irritates me, she's just about the best friend I have, and the closest thing I've ever had to a sister. I couldn't imagine my life without her.

"Yes, I love it!" I cried, pulling her into a hug.

Everyone awed at us - the two best friends hugging. After our short lived moment, we broke apart, and I opened the last gift on the table.

"Now, it's a little different from everyone else, but we thought that you would appreciate it." Esme said as she stood next to Carlisle.

I put my thumb under the small envelope and ripped it open. Inside was a gift certificate to get our pictures taken by a photographer who specialized in expecting couples.

"Thank you!" I told them, smiling.

Now Edward and I could have some professional pictures of us, and our baby, hanging around the house. That alone would make the home so much lovelier.

After thanking everyone once again, Edward and I both stood in front of the huge cake that had been pulled out of the refrigerator just moments ago by Alice. The knife sat on the table nearby, and we watched as everyone gathered around us.

"I want to thank everyone for coming." I said, smiling. "It was really fun playing all of these games…but I think it's time to tell you guys what we're having."

Emmett cheered and looked over at Alice. "Twenty bucks it's a girl."

Alice snorted. "Please! Nobody ever bets against Alice. I'm always right. It's going to be a boy."

He stared her down. "You're on."

"Anyway…" Edward cleared his throat. "Remember, blue for a boy, and pink for a girl."

Esme held her camera and snapped pictures of the two of while everyone else watched with anticipation as we held the knife as one. Then, ever so slowly, we sliced the knife into the cake and watched as the pink cake fell onto the plate.

"It's a girl!" Everyone cried.

I laughed as Edward pulled me closer to him and kissed me on the lips. The sound of the camera flashing, and the cheering of our closest friends and family made this moment one to wait a lifetime for.

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><p><strong>Hurray! You all voted… and a girl it is! I hope that you guys like this chapter, and I'll hopefully be updating soon. Oh, and I just figured out how this story is going to end… it's going to be dramatic. ;)<strong>

*** If you want to check in with more of my writing follow my writing blog on tumblr… . . **


	18. A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

**Hello, my lovelies! I'm really procrastinating going to bed (even though I have to be up at six thirty for cross country conditioning… and it's summer vacation), so I thought I'd write. I've actually been dying to write this chapter, and the next three or four, for a while now! I'm thinking I'll end this story with twenty five to thirty chapters? Not sure yet. We'll see how it goes!  
><strong>

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><p><em>BPOV<br>_

"I still think it was a really good idea for your parents to give us the free photo shoot at the baby shower." I told Edward as we sat in the car. I was slowly eating a chocolate chip muffin from earlier today as I spoke. "It's… unique, you know? I like it."

Edward glanced over at me, hint of amusement sparkling in his green eyes.

"What's so funny?" I asked, forcing the mouthful of food down my throat.

He chuckled. "Nothing, love."

We were on our way to go get our pictures taken, actually. I had been eager to get it done and hang up the new pictures around the house. These would be the first professional pictures Edward and I had taken together.

Needless to say, I was elated.

I kicked my feet up on the dashboard and sighed, patting my belly. I felt like I was getting bigger and bigger everyday, and I wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing.

The bigger my belly was, the harder it was to walk, to get around the house… hide it. But then again, it meant that my baby girl was healthy and happy. Just knowing that she was growing like she should made _me _feel happy.

Once we had pulled into the parking lot of the picture place, Edward helped me out of the car, and we both walked inside of the building quickly. Despite the fact that it was summer, it was dark, raining, and gloomy outside.

"Hi, we have an appointment set up for eleven thirty…" I said, dropping my purse on the counter top. Edward's hand rested on my waist as I rummaged through it's contents for the gift card from Carlisle and Esme. "… and a gift card."

The woman took the gift card from me, pursing her red lips as she looked at Edward with infatuation in her eyes. I stiffened, narrowing my eyes at the blonde.

She typed on her keyboard for a moment. "Alright… the Cullens…?"

Edward opened his mouth to correct her, but I interrupted him before he had a chance to correct her. "Yes, that's right."

I saw the blonde woman's face fall and she sighed heavily. "Come right this way."

I positioned myself so I was standing in-between Edward and the woman; something that seems to be happening a lot lately. First the girl at that restaurant and now this? What do they think he is? Some piece a meat?

She led us to a small room.

"Ryan will be with you in just a few minutes."

And, just to tick her off even more, after we had both thanked her for helping us, I leaned up to kiss Edward on the cheek and whispered in his ear: "I love you".

I saw her standing there, her hand on the door as she peeked over at the two of us. We both caught each other's glance, and after a second of staring one another down, she closed the door behind her and left.

Edward looked at me. "What was that about?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, innocently.

"Bella, I know you more than anyone else in the world." He said. "And, therefore, I know that that is not your normal behavior."

I sighed. "I don't know! God, I was going to rip that girls head off!"

His eyes widened. "What? Why?"

"Did you not see the way she was looking at you?" I asked, shocked. "She was practically seducing you with her eyes!"

Edward shrugged. "I wasn't paying attention to her. I was paying attention to you."

I smiled and a warm feeling flooded my chest. "Really?"

"Really." He confirmed, reaching for my hand and squeezing it tightly.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and in walked a tall man with dark brown, hair. His blue eyes were covered by his long hair, and he wore tattered jeans with a white, button down shirt. He smiled at the two of us, and shook both of our hands.

"My name's Ryan," he introduced himself, "and I'm going to be taking pictures for you guys today. Why don't you take a seat?"

Edward and I both sat down on the loveseat right behind us while Ryan continued on talking.

"So, I have this little sheet where we can come up with ideas and themes for your photo shoot." He began. "We obviously want to focus on the belly, it's just a matter of how… unique you want it to be."

I looked at the sheet and scanned over it.

They had everything on here. Literally, from simple shots, like black and white, to ones done underwater! The only person I would know who would do an underwater pregnancy picture would be Rosalie, and that's just because she loves the extremes.

I was thinking of something soft and romantic, yet welcoming.

"What about this one?" I whispered to Edward, pointing to the option done photographed in front of a fireplace. It has everything I had planned on being in my perfect pictures.

He nodded.

We circled the option and handed it back to Ryan, who looked down at the sheet and smiled. He said that he was leaving to get set up, and something would be with us shortly to change out outfits.

"They make us change outfits?" I said, so softly that it was barely audible to myself.

Edward laughed. "It would seem so."

Moments later, two people walked in; two women. One handed Edward a pile of clothes and instructed him to go to the bathroom and changed. She then walked over to me and smiled.

"We have something very special planned for you."

I smiled.

They both pulled something out a box that was sitting on a table nearby. I couldn't tell _what_ it was at first. I just knew that it was long, silky, and red.

"This is going to sound awkward," the woman with the orange hair told me, "but we're going to have to help you put it on."

I raised one eyebrow.

"I promise." The other one chimed in. "You'd never be able to get in yourself."

Still not completely sure what I was getting myself into, I agreed to let them help me change into whatever it was they had planned.

I stripped off my clothes, leaving my comfortable jeans and shirt on a pile on the floor. And, trying not to feel uncomfortable, closed my eyes and waited patiently as the women worked on my outfit.

They walked in circles around me, draping this and that over my shoulder, around my belly… I was temped to look and see what they were doing, but I wanted it to be a surprise for the end.

After what seemed like a lifetime, they declared that they were finished.

I opened my eyes.

Looking in the mirror, I saw a girl wearing a deep, velvet robe. It was pulled, tied, and draped perfectly around her tiny body with dark hair falling to her hips. Her skin looked pale; her brown eyes wild with curiosity. But most importantly, her bulging stomach was framed by the soft material, seeming to not make it pop, but make it glow.

All I could manage to say was: "Whoa."

The redhead smiled. "I knew you'd love it! Come on, let's go take some pictures."

The two of them helped me to another room just down the hall. I was careful not to step on the beautiful fabric. It felt foreign, maybe European, and I loved it.

"It's just in here…"

They opened the door for me and I walked inside, literally in awe at the setting of the room. In the far corner, everything was set of just absolutely perfectly.

A fire raged on, crackling in the beautiful mantle. Stone was embedded into the wall, surrounding the gorgeous fireplace. The lights were dimmed just enough to create the romantic feel I was hoping for, and a couch was positioned not to far from the fire.

"Bella."

I turned and saw Edward standing by the door.

He wore black pants and a white button down shirt, both of which fit his body perfectly. A loosened, black tie dangled from his neck; his bronze hair was messy; his green eyes filled with life.

"Hey." I said.

"You look beautiful." He complimented, walking over to me and placing both of his hands on my exposed stomach.

A camera flashed not too far from us. "Nice pose," Ryan said, "but can we wait until you're actually in the photography area?"

My cheeks flushed bright red.

We walked over in front of the burning fireplace and waited for Ryan to get his camera positioned. To be honest, I was nervous. The only professional picture I had gotten done was my yearbook pictures, and even those ended up looking horrible ever year.

Edward, seeming to notice my anxiety, kissed me on the cheek, his lips lingering by my ear. "It's going to be alright, Bella. Don't be afraid of a camera."

I shivered at closeness of his touch.

"Okay!" Ryan said. "And let's… begin."

A few poses were suggested to Edward and I at first. He stood behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and cradling my stomach in his hands. We tried Edward kneeling down on his knees and pressing his lips to my skin.

But I think the best ones were the ones that weren't planned.

Like the ones of us sitting on the couch. Edward's hand rested on my stomach while the other he put behind me on the dark leather. When he sat in front of me talking to our baby inside of me…

Those ones felt more real and passionate. They weren't posed or fake. It was showing our real love for each other and the baby.

It turns out, I was right.

Once we were back into our regular clothes, Edward and I got a chance to look at the photos and pick the ones we wanted to take home. And while we looked at them, I found myself falling in love with the ones taken off guard.

I was almost in tears at one of the pictures.

It was of me standing in front of the fireplace, looking straight into the camera and smiling. My body was blurred, because the main focus of the picture was of Edward… Edward looking down at my stomach and smiling.

"We're buying that one." I told him.

He chuckled, but asked Ryan to add it to our cart.

We ended up buying five pictures in all. Four of them were ones that weren't posed, while one (the one with Edward cradling my belly) was posed. But I didn't care. We had the most wonderful pictures.

Pictures of _our_ soon to be family to hang up in _our _house.

I was beginning to like this "ours" thing a whole lot more than "mine".

The second we got into the house, I started searching for picture frames to put them in. sadly, there were none, which meant that we would have to head back out to the store sometime soon again.

We're always running all over the place these days.

"Bella…" Edward said, walking into the kitchen.

"Yeah?"

"Something came in the mail." He started. "It's addressed to me, but Alice said that it's yours too."

He handed it to me and a slowly ripped open the bright orange envelope. 

_You're invited to the Class of 2013's Back to School Pool Party!_

_When? Friday, August 3__rd__._

_Where? Lauren Mallory's House._

I stopped reading after that.

Now I wasn't so sure if I wanted to go. Of all people's houses, why hers? The Cullen's had a pool that was probably twice the size of her pool.

"I don't know, did you really want to go?" I asked.

"Well, Bella, that's the problem…" His voice drifted off. Then, seeing the confusion in my eye, he continued, "Did you not read the entire thing?"

When I didn't answer he pointed to the bottom of the invitation: 

_Our current valedictorian, Bella Swan, and salutatorian, Lauren Mallory, will give a speech to kick off our senior year! Go Spartans!_

Then, scrawled in pink pen at the bottom was a message: 

_Edward, can you please tell your girlfriend to get in touch with me? We have to come up with something to say during this speech. Xoxo, Lauren._

Dear God, why me?

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><p><strong>Oh no! Whatever will Bella do? Find on the next chapter of… PEOPLE THROW ROCKS AT THINGS THAT SHINE! … sorry, I kind of wanted to do that… well… uh, review? Please? (:<strong>


	19. Confessions

**So, it's about that time for me to update again… so, I think I'm just going to let you guys read the next chapter… sound good?  
><strong>

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><p><em>BPOV<em>

Sunday morning, Edward and I were up bright and early to go to another baby class.

We had been trying to go more regularly now, because they seemed like a good thing to do. Every week, we learn something new about my pregnancy, the birth, and even our baby girl.

They seemed to be very helpful.

At home, everyone was still ecstatic that we were having a girl. Though Alice was upset about owing Emmett some money, she too seemed genuinely happy (and elated that she would be able to buy lots and lots of pink).

Esme had been going on and on about how happy she was to finally be a grandmother, and how she couldn't wait to meet her granddaughter, which made me happy.

I was happy about how supportive Edward's family is us of. They understand that what we want and what we're going through, but they also understand that we're under the same agreement that this is a huge responsibility.

At least they were here for us, unlike my father.

I still hadn't heard a word from his since that day he came over. He hasn't called, emailed, texted, or so much as tried to get in contact with me. Not that I should be pointing fingers, because I hadn't tried to talk to him either.

I sighed heavily as Edward and I pulled into the parking lot. We were running a bit behind schedule, which wasn't a good thing. The entire class had learned how angry Laura gets when someone shows up later.

I still feel bad for the couple last week.

She had made them practice all of the labor exercises in front of the entire class for half an hour. The poor girls cheeks were bright red the entire time, and I could have sworn that tears were building up in her blue eyes.

Luckily, Edward and I showed up just as Laura was about to begin.

She clapped her hands together right as we took our seats on the floor. "Well, first off, I'd like to congratulate Edward and Bella on finding out that they are having a baby girl!"

Everyone looked at us, smiles on their faces.

"Girls are so easy to take care of." A girl named Ashley told me. "You're going have so much fun with her. Congrats."

I thanked her and diverted my attention back to Laura.

"We've been coming to these classes for a while now, and I think it's time that we get to know each other better." She said, walking around the circle. "Pair up with the group next to you and I want you guys to… talk, you know."

I looked to my side and smiled as Violet and Dylan scooted next to us.

"Looks like we're partners." Dylan said with a smile.

The four of us all looked at one another, as though not really sure where to begin.

"We'll go first." Violet offered, her blue eyes meeting Dylan's for a minute. He put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly and whispered something in her ear.

"Well, I'm Violet Corelli and this is my boyfriend Dylan Maralis." She introduced, looking both of us in the eye. Violet closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she began speaking again. "And I don't know how in depth you want me to go but…" She paused. "I'll tell you the gist of it.

"I had been dating this guy for a while. We were coming up on our six month anniversary, and prom just so happened to be held on that very day. I was so excited. I thought it was going to be magical. I had the shoes, the hair appointment, the makeup, a beautiful dress picked out; it was long and purple with black lace.

"The night before prom this… guy… told me that he wanted to do some stuff, but I told him no. It was only when he threatened to not take me to prom that I ended up agreeing to him.. I was an innocent little sophomore and he was a senior. What was I supposed to do? I felt special that he chose me to be his date. He chose me over all of those older, prettier girls. And I feel so stupid for feeling that way because he was taking advantage of me.

"We did it in the back of his car. And afterwards, I had never felt so dirty in my life. I realized what he had done to me and I instantly regretted it. I tried to forget about it… to forget about him… but once I realize I was pregnant with Seth - " she cradled her stomach - "I couldn't just forget."

Violet looked down at the floor for a minute.

"He said that he didn't want anything to do with the baby and swore that if I told anyone it was his, he would ruin me." She continued. "That's what Dylan came in. He had been my best friend for years - and he still is. He took me in when no one else would. He loves me and cares for me… and for my baby."

I don't think that I had ever heard such a touching story in my entire life. The baby wasn't even his, but he loved, treated, and acted like it was his own.

Tears filled my eyes, and I turned my head to wipe them.

"That's amazing." I told them. "That's just… beautiful."

Dylan nodded. "It sounds complicated, because we're not dating, and technically, this baby isn't even mine… but I feel like it is. I want him to look up to me like the father in his life."

I noticed that they were holding hands now and looking up at each other like they were each other's worlds. I smiled inside and out. If they didn't realize they were in love now, then they would sooner or later.

There was a silence, and I had realized that they had finished telling everything about their touching story. I looked over at Edward, my eyes begging for help.

"I'm Edward Cullen," he began, "and this is my lovely girlfriend, Bella Swan, who I've been dating ever since our awkward days back in eighth grade. I remember her walking into last period English class; she had glasses and the biggest brown eyes I had ever seen. She dropped her books and tripped right when she fell into the room." We all laughed. "But that's what I knew she was 'the one'".

He looked over at me with an encouraging smile.

Why he was making me do this was beyond me. He was doing perfectly fine talking beforehand. Now the pressure of the spotlight was suddenly on me, and everyone stared at me with waiting eyes.

"So here we are, three years later, still together." I began. "A lot of people misjudge Edward and I. Most people think that we're just stupid teenagers in love who made a huge mistake one night , but, it's not like that at all. We planned for this to happen."

I watched as Violet's eyes widened; a look of absolute shock falling over her features.

"We wanted this baby, and… we had it. We had planned on keeping it a secret and telling our parents later on, but, that didn't go as we had hoped." Now it was our turn to hold hands as I told them the sad story of our baby Olivia. "I had gone to one of Edward's track meets when my stomach started hurting. I went to the bathroom and ended up miscarrying. I hadn't met her yet, but I had just loved her so much, and it broke my heart to see her go.

"But, at my follow up appointment with our doctor, we found out that I there had been two babies all along, and I had only ended up miscarrying one. Devastating as it was, we had to accept what had happened, and stay strong for this little girl."

I looked over and saw that Violet was wiping her eyes with the collar of her shirt. She apologized, laughing at herself for being so emotional.

"That odds of that happening are just a million to one." She whispered. "I think that you guys are exceptionally lucky."

Edward squeezed my hand in response.

"So, you mentioned it was a girl…" Dylan pointed out. "Any names?"

I looked over at Edward and shook my head slowly. "No, no… not yet."

Violet smiled. "Make sure that it's unique. This baby deserves something special."

Later that afternoon, after the classes had ended, Edward and I walked down the crowded streets of Seattle sharing a vanilla ice cream cone. But, not too long after we had started walking, my feet began to ache so we sat on a bench by Starbucks.

I took a lick of the melting ice cream. "So, we're going to need to start decorating the nursery soon."

Edward ran his hands through his hair. "Yeah, we are."

"I was thinking something subtle. I don't want to walk into her room everyday and we blinded by hot pink; even though I'm sure Alice is already scheming that in her head."

"Let's just try and be… cost efficient."

I took another lick. "Aren't we always?"

He shrugged his shoulders up and down. "I mean… the sports store doesn't exactly pay a lot. It's minimum wage, Bella. Plus the fifty dollars every month for Carlisle and Esme, then this damn baby classes, then money for outings like this every Sunday, then things for the baby…." He blew air out his mouth. "It's a lot."

"Edward, I can get a job to bring some extra money in."

"No, Bella. You are not working." He told me strictly.

"Well, then what do you want me to do, Edward?" I snapped. "You're not letting me help you with anything."

"That's only because I care about you."

"Well it's annoying as hell sometimes." I retorted.

Oh, that was probably not the smartest of things to say right now. He was already frustrated, and that snide comment had probably sent him over the edge.

I reached out to touch his shoulder. "Edward - "

He shrugged my hand off of him and turned so he was facing the other way. I looked down at the ice cream, which had dripped all over my hands. I sniffled as tossed it in the trashcan and wiped my hands on my legs.

I hadn't mean to offend Edward. He just gets on my nerves sometimes.

"Bella, are you crying?"

"No." I sniffled, stubbornly.

"Oh, Bella…" He sighed, grabbing my hands and turning me so I was facing him. He wiped my tears with his thumbs and looked me in the eyes. "What's wrong?"

"You're… mad at… me…" My voice cracked.

Edward hesitated for a moment. "No, I'm not, Bella. I'm just a little frustrated right now. You have nothing to do with it."

"You're frustrated because I make you spend too much money." I cried, bursting into tears.

If there was one thing Edward hated, it was crying.

"No, no, no…" He told me. "Bella, that's not why I'm frustrated. I'm more than happy to spend money on you. I like spoiling you."

I waited for my breathing to return to normal before I answered him.

"I care about you too, you know." I said. "I want you to be happy, and how can you be happy if your stressing out? And what about once school starts? A baby… a job… track… cross country… grades… colleges…"

Edward put his pointer finger to my lips. "We'll take it one step at a time, Bella."

I sighed. "There are too many steps. It's making me hungry, and I'm really craving chocolate chip cookies with a spoonful of peanut butter… "

He laughed. "Well, you'll be happy to know that we have all of those things at home."

I flashed Edward a big smile before we walked back to the car.

As usual, the car ride home was uneventful. Edward and I talked for a little while, but once the radio was softly playing, I leaned my head against the window and drifted off into sleep.

Sleeping in the car had always relaxed me.

As a child, Renee had taken me on many early morning road trips that lasted late until night. Needless to say, I was used to sleeping in the car. The sound of the indicator, the purr of the engine, and the sudden silence of the empty car soothed me.

I began to wonder if my parents had ever driven me around the block to stop me from crying as a baby.

By the time we had gotten back home, Edward woke me up, as usual. I yawned loudly and pulled myself out the car, then headed straight for the kitchen.

Pots and pans rattled in the kitchen as I looked for the mixing bowl, spoons, and ingredients to make cookies. As I stirred everything together, I ate spoonfuls of peanut butter, while I focused on making sure everything was mixed perfectly together.

It was then that I noticed Edward was no where in sight.

I frowned a little bit and sighed as I rolled all of the cookie dough into little balls, then placing them perfectly two inches apart on the cookie sheet. I put it in the oven, and after cleaning up my mess, walked over to our bedroom.

There was Edward, sitting on the bed. The television was on, but he was staring up at the ceiling, throwing a pillow up in the air.

"Edward?" I asked from the doorway. "Are you alright?"

He looked over at me. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine."

I crawled onto the bed and snuggled up against him, resting my head on his chest.

"That's a lie." I whispered.

"I know."

The two of us remained silent for a moment. I didn't know what to say. It was obvious that he didn't want to talk about what had happened, but I felt like I had a right to know. He was my other half, and it hurt me when he was feeling down.

I turned around so I was facing him and put my hand against his cheek. "Edward, you can tell me anything."

He looked down at the mattress. "But you're going to be mad."

"No, I won't."

Edward laughed and rolled over so he was on his back. I folded my arms across his chest and looked him in the eye. I kissed him softly on the cheek. "Okay, I'll try not to get mad. But with my damn hormones, you just never know."

From the kitchen, there was a loud beeping noise. I jumped.

"Let's go get some cookies." Edward said, changing the conversation.

He hopped off of the bed, headed towards the kitchen, leaving me all alone in our room.

Feeling a bit stung, I watched as he left the room, and followed shortly in his footsteps, wondering what was going through his mind.

I walked into the kitchen and saw him pulling the cookies out of the oven.

"Did you want some milk?" He asked, taking two cups from the cupboards.

I folded my arms over my chest and walked over to him. "Sure."

Another silence drifted over the room as he poured two glasses of milk into the glass cups. He took a sip from one and handed me the other with a smile. I smiled back and took a sip of the cold milk.

He then grabbed a cookie from the cookie sheet and took a bite into it. I grabbed one myself and chewed it slowly.

I wasn't hungry anymore.

Edward let out a deep breath and walked out of the kitchen without warning.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"On the computer." He said as he walked.

I ran my hair through my hair, trying to fight back the tears in my eyes. I grabbed a dishcloth and started cleaning the already clean kitchen.

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><p><strong>What do you think is wrong with Edward? Let me know in your review!<strong>

*** Oh, and my tumblr URL didn't post in my last chapter, so it is: tellmeyourstoryilltellyoumine. And that's is my writing blog, so… follow me? **

**** And, on a more important note, I'm looking for someone to read and edit one of my personal stories I've written. So, if you're interested, PLEASE let me know so I can give you further information.**

**Xoxo,**

**twilight37**


	20. They Can't Take What's Ours

**Happy Father's Day! I was originally going to wait a few days before posting this chapter, but it seems reasonable to post today as a special treat. It's going to be a short chapter, though! I hope that you like it. (:**

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><p><em>BPOV<br>_

The next day was as uneventful as the last. Edward kept himself locked up in our room, and was distant every time I tried to talk to him; giving me one word answers, or nodding, forcing a smile onto his lips…

I didn't know what his problem was; all I knew was that something was up.

At around eight, when the sun was beginning to set in the cloudy sky, I walked out of our house and towards the Cullen's. If Edward was refusing to talk to me, someone over there surely would.

Esme, who was standing in the kitchen, looked up at me and smiled.

"Bella! What a surprise to see you here." She smiled and pulled me into a motherly hug as I approached her. "Do you need something?"

I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and looked down at the floor. "No, I just needed to… get away from the house."

Her face fell. "Is something wrong?"

"Edward is just… acting weird, and I don't know what to do." I admitted, tears welling up in my eyes.

Esme put her hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry to hear that, sweetie. But, you know Edward. If something's wrong, he's going to tell you when he's ready. He's probably doesn't want you to stress out about something you don't need to." She paused for a moment. "He's overly protective of you."

What was it with the Cullen's always being right?

Because that was just it. Edward _was_ obsessively over protective of me. He always has been and he always will be.

"I'm just afraid that he doesn't love me anymore, or…" My voice drifted off, and tears fell down my cheeks like a river.

"Oh, no, no, no!" Esme cried, running over to me and pulling me back into her loving arms. I rested my head into her shoulder and sobbed. "Bella, I know for a fact that is not true. He loves you more than life itself."

"Then… why… is… he so… mad?" I wailed.

She rubbed my head, smoothing down my hair as she soothed me. "Relationships aren't perfect, Bella. Sometimes people get angry over little things, and sometimes it's not your fault. Give him some time. He'll open up to you when he's ready."

Esme handed me a tissue.

I smiled and blew my nose.

"How does a cup of tea sound?" She asked. "And maybe a movie?"

This is why I love Esme. She knows exactly how to fix every problem that you have, and somehow knows that a cup of hot tea and a movie can make any girl feel a million times better.

I watched as she put the kettle on and boiled the water. After pouring the water into a red, coffee cup and letting the tea sit for five minutes, she handed it to me, knowing that I don't like sugar or milk in my tea.

She let me pick out the movie, so I picked one of my favorites, _Pride & Prejudice_. Snuggling into the blanket on the couch and holding my tea in my hand, I watched as Elizabeth and Darcy argued on the screen…

I must have dozed off, because the next thing I knew, the credits were rolling.

I sat up, pushing the blanket off me and stretched my arms into the air. Esme was sitting on the other couch, her glasses pushed up, and her hair now in a messy bun.

I couldn't help but think about how beautiful she looked.

She had always reminded me of Snow White. Her complexion was pale, but her caramel brown hair and brown eyes popped against the softness of her skin. She was tall, or taller than me, at least, and always came across and sweet and welcoming.

"Thanks for the tea." I muttered in a daze.

"Anytime you need me, I'm always right here."

I smiled at her and walked out of the backdoor, headed back to our house. The lights were still on, which meant that Edward was still awake. From the window, I could see him walking through the living room and to the kitchen.

I opened the door and walked in.

Sure enough, Edward was pacing around the living room, a distraught look in his eyes. It was only then that I saw he was on the phone. He looked over at me and muttered something inaudible into the receiver, then put his cell phone back into his pocket.

"Who was that?"

"You're home." He pointed out. "Where were you?"

"With Esme." I said casually. "You didn't answer my question, Edward. Who were you on the phone with?"

"Oh, Emmett." Edward said.

"Are you guys arguing?"

He shook his head quickly. "Why do you ask?"

"You just looked… upset, that's all."

I knew he was lying. As good as a liar he was, there was something about the tone in his voice and the look in his eye that told me otherwise. I didn't question it, though. Like Esme said… he'll tell me when he's ready.

"Lauren called while you were gone." Edward said, changing the subject. "Like five times. You left your phone here and it kept ringing so I turned it off."

"Oh yeah. I guess I forgot to call her."

"Maybe you should go do that." He told me.

"Edward, it's ten thirty at night, I'm not going to call her this late. It can wait until morning." I reminded him.

He rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah, because she's obviously asleep. She's probably slutting it up with her next door neighbor."

"Edward!"

I was shocked that he had actually said that. Neither of us particularly liked Lauren, but we had never called her out for things like that before. And even if we had, of the two of us, it would not have been Edward. He's not the kind of person who says cruel things.

"That was so uncalled for." I said quietly. "I know you hate her, but that doesn't mean that you can - "

"I can do whatever the hell I want!"

"What is your problem?" I screamed at him. "You're acting like a jackass!"

He glared at me. "So now _I'm_ the jackass? Just call the goddamn girl back! It's not that hard. I don't want to hear that bitch calling you all night!"

"It's off! You said that you turned it off!" I cried. "Why are you acting like this? I didn't do anything!"

There was a sudden softness in Edward's eyes. He looked at me and sorrow washed over his features. I saw him muscles loosen; his jaw unclench.

I took slow, deep breaths, and now he did too.

"Please just…" I swallowed the lump in my throat and dropped my voice down. "Tell me what's going on. I don't want to yell anymore. Stress isn't good for the baby."

Edward took a seat on the couch and patted the empty spot next to him. I took a seat and reached for his hand, but he pulled back when I tried to hold it.

I tried not to let that get to me.

"I got a call a little while ago." He said, looking down at the floor. "You were already asleep, and it was late, but I took it anyway. It was my work. I thought that they wanted me to take someone's shift for the weekend, but…"

"But what?"

He hesitated. "They fired me."

I gasped quietly. "But, why would they do that? You've never showed up late or done anything or…" I shook my head in disbelief. "Why?"

Edward bit his lip. "I don't think that I should - "

"Edward." I stated stubbornly. "We are not keeping things from each other. You will tell me why, or so help me god…"

He reached out and grabbed my hand, squeezing it tightly. "They said that… well…" He looked at me. "They said that they didn't want the boy who was stupid enough to knock up some slutty girl working there; it's a 'bad influence' and 'drives costumers away'."

My hand fell from his.

He was fired because of… me?

"Bella, I'm so sorry…"

"This is all my fault." I whispered, putting my head into my hands.

I felt horrible that Edward had gone to go through this. Did the entire town think that about him? Did everything think that he was 'stupid enough to knock up a slutty teenage girl'? Thinking about that ripped my heart into pieces. He had sacrificed so much for me.

His reputation was permanently ruined.

"No, Bella." Edward said. "This is not your fault at all. Do not blame yourself for this. The only person who's at fault for this is them. They're the ones who don't understand the beauty of this… and I will not let them take what's ours." He put his hand on my stomach.

Despite his reassurance, I cried.

Edward held me in his arms and kissed the top of my head, whispering to me that everything was going to be alright.

It was funny. He's the one who was fired, and yet, I'm the one who's crying.

"What are you going to do?" I asked.

"Look for another job."

I sniffled into his chest, continuing to hold onto him. I never wanted to let him go; I could lie here in his arms for the rest of eternity without a care in the world.

"Edward…"

"Yes?" He answered.

"I just want you to know that I love you and everything you do…" I began. "You're a wonderful boyfriend and I know that you're going to be an amazing father. You love me and everything we have…" I put his hands on my stomach. "And I wouldn't trade the world for that. I love you and Happy Father's Day."

I leaned up to kiss him just underneath his ear, on the corner of his jaw.

He smiled against me and pulled me close to him. I felt his heart beating as he kissed my hair and whispered that he loved me too.

Just then, I felt a small thud in my stomach, and Edward felt it too. I rested his hand over the spot where our baby kicked, and nestled mine over his.

For some reason, I knew that our baby was happy.

He was happy and loved.

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><p><strong>Poor Edward…! Well, I hope that you guys have a fantastic Father's Day and that you enjoyed the sweet little baby moment at the end of this mini chapter! Next chapter will be about Lauren. :O <strong>

**Haha, please review!**

**Xoxo,**

**Twilight37 **


	21. Lose Some, Win Some

**Hi! Okay, so I have a problem. A long, long time ago I read this amazing fan fiction, and I went to reread it and I CAN'T FIND IT. I remember that is was about Edward and Bella and they went to this camp (I think it was a basketball camp?), and I remember certain parts from the story… like they did a dare to see who could jump in the pool then stand in the freezing cold for the longest… and they ended up falling in love and they were sharing a room with Mike and Tyler and Mike kept hitting on her, and Edward and Bella ended up getting in trouble for sleeping in the same bed so she put a pillow between her and Tyler… BUT THAT'S ALL I REMEMBER. Oh my god, if you can help me find this story I will love you forever. No joke. Well, anyway (sorry for my rant), here's the next chapter! **

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><p><em>BPOV<em>

"Alice, are you sure that this looks alright? Because I'm just not too sure…"

I stared at myself in the mirror, my eyes immediately going to my stomach. I cradled my hands around the bump and smiled to myself.

"Of course, Bella. As long as you don't get in that pool, you're going to be absolutely fine." She smiled reassuringly. "Maybe we can put a tank top on underneath just in case…."

We were finding something for me to wear to Lauren's Back to School Party tomorrow. I had unwillingly called her a few nights ago, and we had arranged to meet up at her house a few hours before the party started to write our speech. Nonetheless, a bikini - or any kind of bathing suit for that matter - was out of the question for obvious reasons, so I was stuck wearing shorts and a big t-shirt.

Alice rummaged through her drawers and pulled out a black tank top to put under my shirt. She caught me off guard by throwing it at me.

"Gah!" I yelped, flinching as it hit me in the face.

She laughed. "You're alright. Just put on the shirt."

Not even caring that she was still in the room, I shrugged out of the shirt to put the tank top on. It was tight fitting and made my belly pop, but once the shirt was on over it, it helped me fill the shirt without drawing too much attention to my stomach.

"Am I a genius, or what?"

"Yes, you're a genius." I replied sarcastically.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Go on and find your boyfriend."

I gave her a quick hug before I walked out of Alice's luxurious room, and into Edward's. We had spent the entire day in the Cullen's house, so Edward had camped out in his room.

He didn't seem to notice me as I walked in, but when I did, he smiled.

I motioned down to my stomach. "You can hardly tell."

Edward winked. "Good."

I took a seat next to him on his black, leather couch and kissed him lightly on the cheek. He responded by putting his arm around me and pulling me close. I rested my head against his chest and listened to his soft, beating heart.

We sat in silence for a moment, enjoying one another's company.

"Are you alright?" I whispered.

He shrugged. "I've been better… don't worry about me, Bella. You have bigger things to worry about; the speech tomorrow, school starting up soon, the baby…"

"And you're just as important as all of those three things combined." I reminded him. "Without you, there would be no baby."

Edward smiled. "That's true. And speaking of the baby, have you thought of any names that you like?"

I thought for a moment. "No… I haven't, but she's going to be perfect even if we named her after… trash." I laughed. "She's going to be beautiful."

"Because she takes after you." He said.

"No!" I corrected him. "I hope you she looks like you. I want her to have big green eyes and you're unique bronze hair."

Edward mused for a moment. "No, she should have you're beautiful, big brown eyes."

I stuck my tongue out at him like a child. We would never know what she'd look like until the magical day that she arrived. But until then, it was fun to picture and guess what she would look like in my head.

I yawned loudly and snuggled deeper into Edward's chest.

"Would you like to go home and sleep, love?"

"Can we just stay here tonight?" I asked. "I'm really tired, and I want some of your mom's pancakes in the morning…"

He chuckled and helped me over to his bed. I kicked the pair of shorts I was wearing off, settling with just wearing a big t-shirt to bed. Edward didn't complain as he crawled into bed with me and pulled the thick blanket over the both of us. Then, turning out the light, he moved closer to me and held me in his arms.

I wouldn't have imagined it any other way.

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><p>"Are you sure about this?" Edward asked me the next morning as we made a slow stop in front of the huge, white modern looking house.<p>

"Yes." I lied, biting my lip to stop it from quivering.

I really didn't want to go, let alone write and deliver some stupid speech with her, but as the valedictorian, I felt obligated to go. And even though I was certain that Lauren was trying to steal my number one ranking, it was mine for the time being.

"Be careful." Edward said hesitantly, before he kissed me. "I'll be here in a few hours. You're sure that you'll be alright?"

"Yes, Edward; it's okay. I'll try my best not to get a paper cut." I rolled my eyes. "I love you and I'll see you soon."

I pulled myself out of the car and tugged on my long, white t-shirt.

Edward waved from the driver's side, and I waved back, watching as he drove disappeared down the street.

'Here goes nothing' I thought to myself as I knocked on the door three times.

The sound of a tiny dog barking startled me. It little claws scratched against the hardwood and it yelped, pawing at the front door. I took a step back.

"Muffin, stop it!" I heard Lauren yell before she flung the door open.

Her super blonde hair fell perfectly on her shoulders, curled into the perfect beach waves. She looked like she had gotten a major tan since I had last seen her, making her bright blue eyes pop. She wore a short, strapless, white dress with the straps of a hot pink bikini showing from underneath.

"Bella." She said, nodding her head.

"Hey." I said. "Thanks for inviting me."

"Yeah, yeah, let's just get this stupid speech over with, okay?" She rolled her eyes and turned in the other direction, heading towards the staircase. I quickly stepped inside, being careful not to step on the annoying dog, and followed her.

Lauren's room was the exact opposite as what I had expected.

The walls were a very soft, light blue with tan carpet. Her bed - which had a flowing, blue canopy hanging from above -, dresser, and vanity were all creamy white. A few posters hung on her walls, as did picture frames her, her friends, and family. In the corner of the room sat a little dog bed, which I assumed was for 'Muffin'.

She plopped herself on her bed and pulled out a notepad from behind her silky pillow case. She scribbled in the margin of the paper with a purple ink pen to test it out.

She looked at me. "Are you going to sit or what?

My cheeks flushed bright red and I scrambled towards her bed to take a seat.

"So I was thinking that we should do something totally awesome, but not cheesy or sappy. Something funny, but dramatic."

I nodded in agreement; we could definitely save the sappy speeches for the actual graduation ceremonies. It'd give our parents something to cry over.

As we continued to write our speech, I realized that Lauren was a completely different person outside of school. She wasn't the same mean person I cringed at every time I saw her; she was actually kind of cool.

We had laughed, joked, and when we had finished writing the speech (which Lauren said was a "pretty kick ass speech, if I do say so myself"), we even talked.

That was something I had never in a million years thought of myself doing - Lauren Mallory and I actually on speaking terms? We'd been enemies since the day we first met.

"Well," Lauren began, looking at her digital clock, "I guess it's time for us to go on down to the pool. People will be here any minute now."

I smiled and we both walked down the pool.

Within a matter of minutes, Lauren's backyard was packed with seniors from Forks High School. Our school is tiny, but it felt enormous in the tiny, yard. You had to be constantly moving, or someone was bound to accidentally run into you and push you to the floor.

I scanned the crowd for Edward; though is seemed impossible in a group of people this big. A few people said hey to me as I walked passed them. I smiled and waved, but my intentions were on finding Edward.

"Bella!" I heard Lauren snap from the other side of the yard. She motioned frantically with her hand for me to join her by the mini stage they had set up.

I took one last glance around the entire yard - no Edward in sight - and made my way through the jammed packed crowd.

"Thank God you're here; we're about to give our rockin' speech!"

I giggled. "It'll change lives."

"You bet it will." She winked and bumped my hip with hers.

"Attention, everybody!" Mike Newton called over the crowd of people as he stepped onto the 'stage'. A few looked at him, but no more than five had so much as heard him. He sighed, then cupped his hands over his mouth, whistling loudly. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned in his direction. "That's more like it…" I heard him mumble beneath his breath.

"First off, I want to thank Lauren for letting us use her pool - " the crowd cheered, and Lauren held up her hand in acknowledgment, "and I want to introduce you to our valedictorian and salutatorian, Bella Swan and Lauren Mallory!"

The two of us stepped forward and onto the platform that was set up in the backyard.

Mike hugged Lauren, and touched me on the shoulder with a cheesy smile plastered on his face. He ran and joined the rest of the crowd.

Edward was standing in the first row, giving me an encouraging thumbs up. I smiled, happy that I had finally found him, and shook out my hair before speaking to my senior class.

"I think we can all say that this has been a long journey from our very first day of school in kindergarten." I began, trying to find a familiar face. I saw Angela Weber near the back, standing on her tiptoes to see. "We've grown from the innocent little five year olds on the school bus to somewhat mature eighteen year olds with cars."

A few people laughed.

"And while we've come to love and hate these long thirteen years, the time has come for us to take on the real world for ourselves." Lauren popped in smoothly. "Watch out world; here we come!"

I looked over at Lauren and gave her a small smile. She smirked at me.

Just as I opened my mouth to say the closing words that would kick off the Back to School party, Lauren unexpectedly interrupted me.

"But, before we start this kick-ass party… it's always been a Forks High School tradition to throw our fellow valedictorian in the pool!" She cheered, smirking at me once again.

"Since what has - "

"Since now." She snapped at me.

I stepped back in an attempt to walk away from the pool that was only fifteen feet away, but it was no use. Two of the jocks from the football team were headed towards me, gripping both of my arms and dragging me towards the clear, blue water.

I struggled in their arms, and looked at Edward with horror in my eyes. He looked back at me, clearly having the same realization as I had by the look in his eyes.

Despite my constant struggles and pleas, the two continued to pull me towards the pool.

My feet skidded against the concrete, and I put all of my body weight in their arms. I needed to do something; I could not get pushed in that pool.

"Please, no, no, no, no, no!" I screamed as we approached the edge of the pool. I gripped onto them for dear life.

"Sorry. It's a… tradition." The blonde one snickered.

"Please!" I begged, staring down into the water.

"Hey, hey!" I heard Mike Newton yell. He ran up to the three of us, a crowd of people trailing behind him. "If she doesn't want to go in, you can't make her."

"But, Lauren - "

"Who cares!" Mike said. "Let her go. You guys should know better than this."

The two guys looked at each other before reluctantly dropping me to the ground. I stumbled on my feet, and Mike ran over to help me up. I thanked him quietly and stood still for a moment to regain my posture.

Lauren stormed up and looked me straight in the eye.

"They might know better than this, but I sure as hell don't!"

She gripped her hands onto my shoulders and pushed me back with as much force as she could possibly muster.

I wobbled on my right foot, and screamed loudly before I toppled backwards into the pool. I heard laughter and cheering from underwater. Pushing my arms forward, I brought myself back up to the surface. I gasped and swam towards the shallow end, where Edward was waiting for me.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the pool.

"Bella, are you okay?"

I nodded and stood up, immediately pulling down on my long t-shirt to hide my bulging stomach. But it was too late. Everyone was staring at me with wide eyes, in absolute shock.

"Oh no…"

Edward looked up, his eyes meeting the crowds.

He threw me the nearest towel he could find and wrapped it around me/ I hid my face in his shoulder, shielding myself away from the constant stares of those around me, as he ran me away from the party.

Behind me, I heard people screaming out names and profanities: "Bitch is still pregnant!" and "Slutty Swan!" were only a few of the many things I heard.

Tears flooded down my face as Edward put me in the passenger side, and climbed into the drivers seat. He slammed the door shut and we both sat in silence.

What was there to say?

Our secret was out. The one thing in my life I had tried so hard to keep from the rest of the world - the one thing I didn't think the world deserved to see the beauty of - was exposed.

All I had wanted to do was protect my family, and now I couldn't even do that. I couldn't hide us from the shameful looks, or shield our ears from their words. There was virtually nothing I could do.

"What are we going to do?" I managed to cry out.

Edward looked over and at me very seriously. "We're going to go on like today never happened. You know why?" He leaned forward and caressed my cheeks, wiping away the tears with his thumbs. "Because I love you and our baby, and I want things to go exactly as we planned. I don't want other people getting in the way of what we want."

I breathed heavily. "But, people are going to - "

"Who cares what other people think?" He kissed my forehead. "This is our life."

I stared out the window, tears still pouring from my eyes.

"Can we go home?" I whispered.

Edward pulled away from me, but grabbed my hand and intertwined it with mine. He gave it a gentle squeeze and drove away from Lauren Mallory's house.

And to think that I thought we were finally starting to get along.

I hadn't been paying attention to where we were going; I had assumed that we were going straight home. But when Edward pulled into the one and only small strip mall Forks had, I looked over at him in confusion.

"You deserve a treat, my little valedictorian." He winked at me and got out of the car.

I trailed shortly behind him, being careful not to step in any of the rain puddles that covered the streets. He walked towards a little bakery and held the door open for me.

"Edward…" I dragged out his name in a soft voice. "We're trying to save money. You really don't have to do this."

He shook his head. "I don't care. You're mine; I can buy you whatever you want."

"Claiming ownership over me now, are we?" I teased.

He smiled my favorite crooked smile and put his arm around me. "Yes, yes I am."

The woman the counter asked what we wanted. Edward left that entirely up to me. I sighed, trying to pick something quickly so I wouldn't irritate the person standing behind me. Even though it was summer, I ordered a hot chocolate and a blueberry muffin for Edward and I to share.

I carried the small, paper bag and the hot cup of hot chocolate back to the car for Edward.

We both got inside and slammed the door behind us. Edward put the key in the ignition and put one our favorite CD's on - Coldplay. But he didn't drive. He just sat in the car next to me and reached for the muffin which he broke a small piece off of and plopped in his mouth.

"So... about the color of our baby's eyes again..."

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><p><strong>I hate Lauren, but she will be an important character in these nest few chapters! Oh, and I've decided that every time you review - if you want - I'll give you a little hint regarding the end of the story! :O<strong>

**P.S. I really like editing videos, SO I made a trailer for this story on youtube. If you'd like to watch it... go on my profile page and it should be there. ****Xoxo. (:**


	22. A Reunion

**So… two hundred review…. WHAT? God, I just love you guys so, so much! This is amazing. I can't believe it. **

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><p><em>BPOV<br>_

The last week of summer vacation snuck up on us like a thief, and before we knew it, we found ourselves standing face to face with our senior year of high school.

It's scary when you finally comes to terms that this really is it. This is really the end.

It's also funny, and almost a tricky thing to think about how different things were back then, and how different things will be. This time last year, I was no where near the person I am today. Everything was completely different. Though, I suppose I'll say the same thing this time next year when I'm holding my baby in my arms.

"How is the job search coming along?" I asked, Edward.

He looked up from his laptop and frowned. "No luck."

"You'll get there, baby." I smiled encouragingly and rubbed his back as I walked by him. I then walked over to the refrigerator and poured myself a glass of orange juice. As I poured, I spoke. "Oh, and don't forget that we have a doctor's appointment on the first day of school."

Edward nodded, and continued to type on his laptop.

"Oh, and they have a senior night sometime during the first week of school that I have to go to - there's going to be food, pictures, speeches… even some colleges will be there." I continued, counting off the list of things in my head. "Baby Group on Sundays… you'll have cross country… I'll have some clubs after school, too. We're going to need some more baby things, so we can maybe use that gift card from the baby shower. Oh, and speaking of colle - "

"Bella, Bella… please, just one thing at a time." Edward pleaded, putting his hands in the air as though surrendering.

My face fell. I put my glass of orange juice down and went to go take a seat next to Edward. Resting my hands in his lap while he hung his head, I rubbed his leg reassuringly.

"I think we need to talk." Edward said after a long moment of silent.

We need to talk. The four words that everyone always dreaded hearing.

I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat and nodded my head slowly, unsure of what he would say, and if I would like it.

"Bella, this is… this is just too much. I feel really overwhelmed right now. " He admitted. "Just with school, and now trying to find a job, now thinking about college… all with a baby only months away!"

I took a deep breath. "What are you trying to say?"

He hesitated for a moment, as thought playing around with his words. "I'm trying to say that I don't think that the both of us are - "

My eyes widened in horror. "You don't want the baby?"

"No, no, no, no, no!" Edward corrected me, shaking his head back and forth. "Bella, of course I want the baby! I would never walk away from you… or her. Never ever think otherwise, love."

"Sorry… I just…never mind, continue."

He reached for my hand and looked me in the eye, a very serious look on his perfect features. "I think that it would be best if we moved back in with my parents. I don't think that we're ready for something like this yet. We need to take baby steps instead of just jumping into things.

"Of course, I'd still look for a job, and you can do whatever it is you want, but for the time being… it's more reasonable. My mom will always be home in case we need something, we won't have to pay every month…"

I felt my whole body drop.

This house was so special to me. I know we hadn't been here long, but it felt like more than just a place to sleep every night. It felt like home… because it was my home. I appreciated every once of energy we had put in it; the furniture, the pictures, the paint… I had loved everything about it.

We didn't have to worry about anyone else. It was just Edward and I, and I loved that.

"What are you thinking?" Edward asked me. His voice was soft like velvet.

"I mean…" Tears began flooding to my eyes. "I've just really love it here."

"I know, I do too. But, we have to be realistic; this is not something that we can handle right now. We need more baby stuff, and that alone would cover what paycheck I would have been getting." He kissed me on the forehead. "Don't you think it would be easier on the both of us?"

I nodded slowly, wiping tears from my eyes.

"Why don't we go talk to my mom and dad about it right now?" Edward suggested.

"Now?"

He stood up, taking my hand and slowly pulling me up with him. I stumbled over my feet, and Edward chuckled, helping me regain my balance. A blush crept along my cheeks as he squeezed my hand in his.

"Yes, now."

We started for the front door.

"Wait!" I called aloud. Edward froze and looked over at me.

"What's wrong?" He panicked.

"I want my orange juice."

I let go of Edward's hand and walked back into the kitchen. I grabbed my glass of orange juice, which was still completely full, and took a sip of it as I went back to Edward's side. He grabbed my free hand as we walked out of the house, possibly for the last time.

"Jesus, Bella, you almost gave me a heart attack!" Edward told me. "I thought you had gone into early labor or something."

"You really think I would say 'wait' if I was in labor?" I giggled.

He just shook his head, laughing along with me.

Walking into the Cullen's house felt different this time. Normally, I came through those doors for something happy, like hanging out with Alice, talking to Esme, going to a party. There had been so many good memories in here; I hated dwelling on the bad things.

Take for instance, Edward and I had had our first fight in the kitchen (we were arguing over, of all people, Mike Newton asking me on a date just before Edward had asked me to that eighth grade dance). Or the first time Edward put his arm around me in the living on his couch. Meeting his parents in the doorway; being introduced to Emmett and his bear hugs; watching television with Alice and Rosalie every week.

I fought back tears. Damn these hormones.

"Mom? Dad?" Edward called from the bottom of the spiral staircase. "Bella and I would like to talk to you for a moment, if that's alright."

I heard shuffling around upstairs, followed by Esme's soft voice informing us that the two of them were in the library.

We went upstairs and into the room.

Esme was standing in the middle of the room, a pile of books surrounding her. Her hands were on her hips as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked up at us. She smiled, pushed back the sleeves on her pink sweater and walked over.

"Carlisle, their over here. Why don't we take a break?"

Carlisle's head popped from behind a bookcase. He rubbed his hands together and joined his voice. "Sorry, we were just reorganizing the books… Esme has decided that she wants the books in alphabetical order instead of publication date this time."

The two of them laughed.

"More importantly, what did the two of you want to talk about?"

"Well…" I looked at Edward. "Why don't we sit down? It's kind of… important."

They both looked at each other before gesturing towards the small table that sat at the edge of the room. The four of us took a seat - Edward and I on one side, Carlisle and Esme on the other.

"Why don't I go make some tea for everyone…" Esme suggested.

Everyone nodded in agreement and she scurried off to go and make a cup of hot tea for us all. Even when she was gone, nobody dared to speak. The atmosphere in the room made it clear that this was going to be a very serious discussion.

Moments later, Esme walked in slowly, carrying a tray of four steaming cups with a little mug for sugar and milk. She set it down on the table and handed each of us a cup. I held it in my hands, blowing the steam over the top.

Edward put his hand on my knee and took a deep breath.

"Well, Bella and I have both come to the agreement that we're… not ready to live on our own just yet. I know that the two of you were preparing us for the future, and I know that you're trying to do what's best for us, but…" His voice cracked. "I miss you guys.

"It's hard… it's really hard… and I don't want this to be the 'consequence' for bringing a baby that we wanted into the world. I know you want us to be treated like adults, because, I know that this is an adult decision we've made… but we're still teenagers. I - no - we need your support now more than ever. "

I tried to hide the shocked expression on my face. This was not the same thing Edward has told me not too long ago; this was something entirely different. Not that I could blame him for not wanting to tell me. He thought of him self as the man.. The strong one; not the one crying because he misses his mom and dad.

Looking into Esme's eyes, I could see the motherly instinct within her breaking through. Her brown eyes watered and she reached her hand across the table to touch her son.

"Edward… we told you we didn't want you guys to feel like we were kicking you out and abandoning you. Honey, I miss you too. I miss seeing you everyday, and talking to you, and hearing you play piano." She sniffled.

"Wait," Carlisle said, calmly. He leaned forward. "I miss you too, Edward, and I'd love to have you back around… but I have a question for you: if you can't handle being away from us and handling a 'house', what makes you think you can take care of a baby?"

Edward stared at his father blankly.

"That's the whole point." I butted in, saving Edward. "We need more stability before the baby comes. This allows Edward to save up some money and get us on our feet for when she gets here. It's not permanent."

Carlisle fell back into his seat, looking satisfied with my answer. "I think that it can be arranged for two of you move back into Edward's room."

I looked over at Edward and smiled.

"But just promise me something… next time around, think ahead before you have a kid."

Next time around?

My cheeks burned bright red, and I swear that Edward's did too as we both stood. Esme ran over to us and pulled us in a hug, literally pouring out how much she had missed seeing us around the house. Carlisle stood off to the side, smiling as well.

It was a reunion.

"Tonight we're going to have a huge dinner." Esme announced. She looked down at her watch and gasped. "Is that really the time? Oh no! I have to start cooking now!"

She ran out of the library.

"Well… it looks like I'm stuck reorganizing these books myself." Carlisle chuckled. "Why don't you guys grab some stuff from the guest home and bring it to Edward's room?"

We both nodded in agreement and left the house, headed towards the little guest house.

"I'm going to miss this place." I admitted as we grabbed clothes from the closet and put them in boxes leftover from some of the furniture. It kind of sucked that we had wasted all that money furniture we wouldn't be able to use. Now it would just sit in the empty house and collect dust.

"Me too." Edward said, taping a box shut. "But, it's not like we can't come out here when we want to… and, maybe someday, we'll even be back here."

"Or have a place of our own." I grinned.

"Baby steps, baby steps…"

I laughed and helped him fill another box.

We had to throw away all of the food in the refrigerator, and then take the trash out (or Edward did). We also had to get all of my books, the clothes, and eventually had to call Emmett so he could help us bring Edward's piano back to the house.

While we waited for Emmett to arrive, we carried the boxes of clothes to the house. Edward actually let me help, even though it was just one box and it was filled with socks, but nonetheless, it was an improvement.

A few hours later, everything was done.

The guest house was closed up, all of our stuff was in the Cullen's room, and the delicious smell of Asian food was wafting throughout the entire house.

Alice bounded down the stairs. "It smells amazing! What's for dinner?"

"Asian food." Esme smiled.

"Good. I'm starving." She said, running over to Edward and I. "Hey! Are you joining us for dinner tonight?"

"We're actually staying here instead of the little guest house now." I told her. She squealed when I broke her the news, and she hugged the both of us.

"Oh, good! I've missed having you around!" She smiled. "Oh, I should invite Rose on over. Jasper too. Everyone else seems to be here!"

Alice walked off into another room, holding her phone to her ear.

"And… we're back to the insanity."

"I don't know…" I mused. "I kind of like it."

Esme then called out loud that dinner wouldn't be ready for another two hours. Everyone groaned; it smelt so amazing! My stomach had been growling for the past twenty minutes, and smelling the food only made it worse.

Edward suggested that we leave the house for a little while so that I wasn't constantly tantalized by the food.

"Where should we go?" I asked.

"How about Babies 'R' Us? I believe that we have a gift card and some things that we need to buy." He winked at me. Then, without another word, he called out to Esme where we were going.

"Oh! We actually still have a little pack-in-play from when Edward was a baby. You can use that as a sleeping area and diaper changing station. There's also a little bassinet that we have. It's white so it should be fine for a girl."

I smiled. "Really?"

"Sure. You guys go on out and I'll put it in Edward's room for when you get back!"

"Where are you going?" Alice asked as Edward and I started walking outside of the door.

I nodded. "Baby's 'R' Us."

"Oh! Can I come? I want to pick out some clothes for the little girl." She poked my stomach and smiled at the two of us.

Not seeing a reason why she couldn't come, Alice hopped into the backseat of Edward's Volvo and we drove to the small Babies 'R' Us in Forks. It was deserted, like usual, so we parked without a problem and walked on in.

Thanks to the Cullen's for saving Edward's baby things, we already have a place for my little angel to sleep, which was great. Edward and I went straight to some greater necessities, while Alice went straight to the baby clothes. We ended up picking out an adorable pink car seat, which had intricate lace designs dancing across it, and it was on sale (half off!). We also picked up a few baby bottles before we went to find Alice.

Of course there were things that we still needed; a highchair, more clothes, toys, shoes, and more, but some of it didn't make sense to buy right now. We did still have a few months before the baby was born. Hopefully we would get an exact date on our next doctor's visit, though I was assuming that she would be born around December.

"Okay, so I held back and only picked one. It's my treat, though. I don't want you to pay anything!" Alice instructed before shoving an outfit in our face.

The first thing I saw the adorable Mary-Jane shoes. They were so tiny! My thumb would have fit perfectly inside of it. Dangling from her arm was a black forehead headband with a red flower on it. In her hand, she held a plain, short sleeved black dress, with a little bow towards the bottom.

"I love it Alice, thank you!"

Alice grinned from ear to ear, and skipped off towards the checkout with the outfit in her hand. Edward and I looked at each other, rolled our eyes, and followed shortly behind her.

Once at the checkout, I recognized the girl behind the register as none other than Angela Weber. She scanned our items, not realizing who we were.

"Angela?" I asked.

She looked up and smiled. "Oh, Bella, hey."

"How have you been?" I asked as Edward pulled out his credit card and handed it to her. She swiped it for him as we talked.

"Good, good… and you?" She asked, nicely. "I'm really sorry about the party, by the way."

"Err, it's fine." I told her, taking one of the little plastic bags while Edward handled the heavy box. "And I'm doing great. It was nice running into you. See you in school!"

"Don't remind me!" She laughed.

Edward and I packed everything into the trunk - I was afraid that it wouldn't fit, and it almost didn't, but we managed to shove it all in - and drove back home without a problem.

Sadly, dinner still wasn't ready by the time we had gotten home. Esme was trying to let the flavor sink in, which I didn't have a problem with, except for how long it was taking, so Edward and I brought everything up to his room.

We didn't have to move any furniture like we had originally planned to. The bassinet fit perfectly on the right side of the bed, while we had managed to squeeze the pack-and-play on the far wall, underneath a shelf of Edward's music, and next to my pile of books.

As for the other things, we put them with the baby clothes, which sat in a plastic bag on the floor of Edward's closet.

"It looks good." Edward said.

"You bet it does." I said. "But I feel like something's missing…"

I looked around the room, wondering what it was. Something just didn't feel complete. I went over to the pile of boxes and managed to kneel down and look into them. I reached in, and slowly pulled out the black frame.

"Bella? What are you doing?" Edward asked.

I pushed myself off of the floor with my free hand and walked over to Edward's bed. There, sitting against the wall was a picture of Edward and I at the fair in Seattle a few years ago. I smiled at the memory, and took it down, placing it on the bed. I then replaced it with the picture in my hand.

Edward came up behind me and put his hand on my shoulder.

"I think that looks so much better."

"Me too." I agreed, twisting my head around so I could kiss him softly on the lips.

"Dinner's ready!" Esme called from downstairs, interrupting out moment.

"You ready?" Edward asked, grabbing my hand.

"Of course I am. Let's go eat some food."

And so Edward and I walked out of the room, leaving the picture of us and our soon-to-be new baby smiling at us shut the door behind us.

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><p><strong>And their back to the Cullen house. Tell me what you think! <strong>

**Don't forget to follow me on twitter! I love talking to you guys through the reviews (you guys are so nice!), and I'd love to keep in touch with some of you! So, you know, follow me halleybrown13**


	23. It's On

**Hello! I hope that you enjoyed the last chapter! Lauren SUCKS doesn't she? Thank you so much for all the reviews! I think I got around twenty two, which made me so happy (I get excited about things easily)! So… I'm actually on vacation again, but I'm writing this chapter from our beach house in Florida. (:**

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><p><em>BPOV<em>

_He held a sharp knife and wore a creepily happy smile on his face as approached me. His hands were covered in blood - the same blood that was splattered on the walls. My blood._

_Lightning flashed and thunder raised on in the cold, wooden room. I crawled into the corner of the room, hiding myself from the mysterious figure._

"_Don't be afraid." The voice whispered. I realized that the voice was higher and more feminine that I had imagined; female. "I'm only trying to help."_

_She flipped her blonde hair in my face before she stepped forward to kill me…._

"Bella, Bella!" Edward called out, shaking me awake. "Bella, are you alright?"

I sat up in bed breathing heavily. While I felt sweat dripping down my back and in my hair, my entire body was shaking, and I felt freezing. Chills shot through my body and an uneasy feeling settled in my stomach.

"Nightmare." I breathed.

He sat up on his elbow and looked down at me. With his other hand, he brushed a strand of hair out of my face.

"It's alright, love, it was just a dream." He murmured. "Try and go back to sleep."

I tried to lay back down, but soon realized that I couldn't. The uneasy feeling in my stomach had shot from uncomfortable to unbearable in a matter of seconds. I gasped and yanked the blankets off of my legs, running for the bathroom.

Edward called my name as I darted out of the room, but I ignored him.

I didn't even both to shut the door. I fell onto my knees and put my head over the toilet. All the contents from last nights dinner were now in the toilet. Once I had finished, I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the cold, porcelain seat.

Stupid morning sickness.

"Bella…" Edward said, walking over to my side and kneeling next to me.

"Please go, you don't need to see this." I pleaded.

He simply shook his head and stood up, closing the door and opening the medicine cabinet. He put some toothpaste on my blue toothbrush and handed it to me. I rolled my eyes and stood up to go stand over the sink.

Standing obviously wasn't a good idea either.

I clutched onto my stomach, letting the toothbrush fall to the ground, and heaved into the toiler bowl. There wasn't anything left in my stomach for me to throw up, so a disgusting, foamy liquid fell out of my mouth.

Edward was immediately by my side, holding my hair back.

When I has finished for the second time, I sighed and squeezed my eyes shut. Edward handed me my toothbrush, which new toothpaste on it, and told me to brush. As I brushed, he got me a glass of water.

"Here." Edward said, handing me a piece of gum once I had chugged down the water. My throat burned, and while the water helped, it only soothed the scorching pain.

"No." I argued. "I don't need gu - "

Edward put the piece of gum in my mouth and gently closed my mouth. I half smiled and chewed on it. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his welcoming arms. He played with my hair and kissed my cheek until I started feeling better.

I yawned loudly and rested my head against his chest.

"Are you ready to go back to bed?"

"I guess so." I mumbled, grabbing onto his arm for support.

He helped me up and walked me back into his - our - room. I lay on the bed and snuggled into the thick blankets and rested my head on the soft pillows. My eyes felt heavy as soon as the lights were back out, and once Edward was comfortably positioned by my side, I easily fell back asleep.

It wasn't for long, though. What felt like minutes later, if not seconds, the sound of an incredibly loud alarm clocked blared through the small room. I groaned and rolled over, attempting to turn the damn thing off, but instead, I knocked it off of the bedside table.

"Edward… make it stop." I grumbled, hitting him lightly on the chest.

He let out an irritated sigh as he stood up and walked to the opposite of the room, flipping on the lights as he walked by and turning off the annoying alarm clock. He then knelt by my side of the bed and peeled back the blanket that I had pulled over my head.

"Bella, it's time to wake up."

I pulled the blanket back over me.

"It's our first day of school. Of senior year."

He pulled the blanket back and looked at me. I squinted my eyes and stared back at him unhappily. Edward chuckled and placed one hand atop of my stomach, while he kissed the side of it.

"The baby wants you to wake up, baby."

"Edward, stop being so unrealistically optimistic. It's five in the morning." I told him. "And now I have to get up because you pulled the 'baby' card on me."

"Exactly." He grinned. "So, come on out of bed. I'll make you some breakfast while you get ready. Does that sound good?"

Now that I had food to motivate me, I managed to pull myself out of bed and stumble towards the bathroom. It was almost hard to believe that only hours ago, I was sitting on the bathroom floor puking my guts out. I shuttered at the thought.

I jumped in the shower, taking advantage of the hot water. I lathered soap on my body, and washed my hair until the entire room smelt of strawberries shampoo and freesia body wash. After wrapping a towel around my body, I ran a brush through my knotted hair, and grabbed an outfit from our closet.

Now dressed, I walked back into the steamy bathroom.

I stared at myself in the mirror, my eyes tracing my body. My long, brown hair fell into it's usual routine: down and dead straight. I wore no makeup, except for the strong, mint chap stick I had smothered on my lips, and had on one of the t-shirts Edward had bought me months ago - a light blue one with white and black designs on the back.

Today is just like any other day. There is absolutely nothing to worry about.

It's only your first day of your last year of high school. And it's not like everyone in the entire school is going to know that you're six months pregnant with a baby girl. For sure nobody would know about your dramatic miscarriage last year, and everyone would miraculously forget that I was the goody-two-shoes, straight A, Valedictorian.

As I said… just another normal day.

I shook my head and walked out of the bathroom and headed downstairs. Edward was dressed and already looking like his normal self, even though it was only half past five. He smiled at me and put a hot cup of tea in my hands. I forced a smile and sat at the kitchen table, waiting for my good.

"I made pancakes, is that alright?"

"Of course. I'm starving."

"I thought so."

Edward placed a white plate in front of me. Four pancakes were stacked atop of each other with hot maple syrup dripping down the sides. I stabbed my fork into it, watching as the steam rose from the food. I didn't even bother to wait for it to cool down; I shoved it in my mouth, barely even tasting it before I swallowed.

It took all of five minutes for me to finish. Once I was down, I chugged down my tea, which was now warm instead of burning hot.

Alice soon bounded down the stair, looking adorable in her dark wash, distressed skinny jeans and off the shoulder, hot pink shirt. Her hair was in its usual pixie cut, and her makeup looked sparkly and perfect.

"Morning, Bella!" She greeted, then turned to look at her brother. "Are there any pancakes for me?"

"Nope." He popped the 'p'. "I only made enough for Bella. Sorry."

Alice shrugged. "Oh well, I'll just have cereal."

Edward and Alice both had a bowl of cereal while I helped myself to more pancakes and a huge glass of milk. This baby was really starting to kill me; first the morning sickness earlier and now the obsessive food cravings. I had a doctor's appointment after school today, so it'd be something of importance to mention to Dr. Askew.

We talked about this and that during breakfast. Classes we were taking, what we had heard about teachers, and hopefully having some classes together. Edward, Alice, and I had yet to have a class together. Alice and I had a class together once; Edward and I had; Alice and Edward had; but the three of us had never been in the same class at the same time.

I'll admit, it would be pretty fun if that happened. And with a small town like Forks, you just never know.

Edward looked down at his watch. "I guess we should get going."

Alice sighed. "Here we go… first day of school."

"Don't remind me." I rolled my eyes.

We all grabbed our backpacks and headed for Edward's car. As usual, I sat shotgun while Alice piled herself into the backseat. Edward put the key into the ignition and started on the short drive to Forks High School.

Even though there was still half an hour left until school officially started, the parking lot was packed. I had never in my life seen the school so insane. People were driving around in circles, others were screaming and hugging in the parking lot. One car honked at another when they pulled into a parking lot, and the principal, Mr. Bradbury, was instructing traffic.

We pulled into the first parking space we could get, which was all the way across the lot, as far away from the school as we could possibly get. Edward helped me out of the car and held my hand as headed towards the doors.

"Good morning Mr. Cullen… Ms. Swan." Mr. Bradbury said with a smile.

The two of us smiled and waved as we walked by him.

Everyone, as usual, as instructed to go to homeroom for first period, and since homerooms were organized my grade and last name, Edward and I were would be separated until further noticed. He walked me to my class and waited outside of the room.

"Everything is going to be alright." He whispered in my ear.

I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around him tightly. He hugged me too, his hands running up and down my back. I didn't want him to leave. I wanted him to stay by my side for the entire day.

But he couldn't.

He pressed his lips against my forehead, before he walked away, leaving me all alone.

I took a deep breath and tugged on my shirt before I walked into the classroom.

Most of my homeroom was here. Jessica Stanley sat on one of the desks, staring at herself in her pink, sparkling mirror. She puckered her glossy lips and threw her head back laughing at the girl next to her. A few others sat in the room - people that I knew but I wasn't exactly friends with them.

I took a seat in the far corner, as far away from the door as I could get and pulled out a piece of paper, doodling on piece of paper.

As time went by, more and more people began arriving. By the time the bell rang, our class was about a third of the way full, which was normal for our tiny school. Our homeroom teacher then began walking around the room giving us the normal first day of school speech thrown in with some dramatic pep talk about this being our last year of high school. As she walked, she handed us our schedules on a blue piece of paper. I thanked her when she handed me mine and immediately looked down at it.

College English, College Algebra I, AP US History, AP Anatomy, Newspaper, Yearbook, and AP Psychology.

I was fairly happy with my classes this year. For one, I had English first period, which would automatically make my day a million times better, and therefore put me in a better mood for math. While I preferred not to take any science or math classes, they were required. All of my classes, with the exception of my electives, were AP or college level, which was sure to look great on a college application.

"You are now dismissed to first period. Good luck, seniors!" She called out, smiling. A few of the guys hollered as they ran out of the classroom and to first period.

I knew exactly where I was going, so I slung my backpack over my shoulder and headed for English, which was upstairs on the first hallway. I took my time, knowing that I would have plenty of extra free time in class.

Even though I purposely walked slowly, I was still the first one there. I introduced myself to the teacher and sat up in the front, hoping she would keep my seat here. I've always liked sitting up front so I could pay attention to the teacher (unless I have a class with Edward; then I like sitting in the back so we can snuggle and pass notes behind the teacher's back).

I nearly burst into tears when I saw Lauren walk in through the door. Her red lips and curly blonde hair went from looking like the princess to the wicked queen in a matter of seconds. She may have a pretty little face, but her mind is far from little and pretty. She might as well be the devil in disguise, and as far as I'm concerned… that's exactly what she is.

My brown eyes met her icy blue ones, and there was an instant sense of tension throughout the room. We stared another down until she took her seat and flipped her hair in my direction.

'What a bitch!' I thought to myself, digging my nails into my pencil.

Once the bell rang, our teacher introduced himself as Mr. Dooley - a fifty year old, Italian with ruddy cheeks - and handed us an extremely heavy packet of information. From just the packet itself, I could tell that he was going to be strict. Things were bolded and underlined in everything in the ten page packet, and to make it even worse, his room had to be at least sixty degrees.

By the time second period rolled around, I thought my arms were about to fall off.

I noticed as I walked towards second period, I noticed that Lauren was following shortly behind me. I prayed and prayed that she wouldn't turn into the same classroom as I was… but it was no use. I walked in only seconds before she did.

Ms. Williams - a short woman with glasses - introduced herself and assigned seats to our tiny class of ten students. I held my breath when she placed Lauren, who sadly was forced to sit right behind me.

"Perfect." I grumbled.

"Hey, I'm not happy about this either." She shot back.

"Girls… is there a problem?" Ms. Williams asked, peering at us beneath her glasses.

"No, ma'am." We both mumbled underneath our breath, still shooting death glares at each other from the corner of our eyes.

"Good." She nodded her head. "This year our locker will be assigned with your second period. But because of the increase in freshman this year… some of us will have to share lockers. Any volunteers?"

No one dared raise their hand.

Sharing a locker is like trying to share a closet with someone like Alice. Everything looks messy, mostly because everything is thrown in it in an attempt to organize it. No matter how many times you rearrange or decorate, it goes back to looking like hell within a matter of days.

"Alright, no volunteers? Hm. How about… you two? The Valedictorian and Salutatorian should be happy with sharing lockers."

I froze.

"Here's your combination. You guys are locker number thirteen."

The two of us stood up in silence. She snatched the paper from Ms. Williams and carried her hot pink purse and books out of the room. I followed her, and by the time I was out, she had already opened our end locker.

She ignored me and started piling things into her things inside.

"Lauren, I'm going to need to put some things in there too." I reminded her as she continued to purposefully fill the locker with paper and books. "Lauren!"

"What?" She growled.

I bumped her out of the way. "I have things too."

"I know, but I refuse to share a locker with… you! I can't stand you. I don't want to talk to you, let alone share a locker with you!"

"Well, you're going to have to deal with it." I said, putting in my English book.

Lauren stopped her foot and slammed the locker door shut, storming back into the bedroom. I rolled my eyes at her need to always throw a fit and went back in to my dreaded Algebra class.

The rest of the day was uneventful… and depressing. Edward and I had absolutely no classes together; not even lunch! I hadn't seen Alice once either, which was a complete bummer. I was really going to need at least one of them in one of my classes this year.

The only people who I knew in my classes were Angela and Mike in Anatomy, and Lauren (who I wouldn't consider someone to help me out) in English and Math… and at our lockers.

In last period, I had completely lost interest in what we were talking about. It was literally just the same old thing in every class; lecture after lecture after lecture. While the teacher continued to talk, I yanked out a piece of paper and started writing.'

Baby names… Edward and I were going to need to pick a name soon. I wanted something unique; not a name that everyone in the world has. She was special and she deserved a special name.

My pencil dragged across the paper. Ever so often, I would glance up at the teacher to make it look like I was taking notes.

I'd always thought that the name Iris was pretty. Iris was the Greek Goddess of Rainbows, which I thought that was something that beautiful. When I thought of rainbows, I thought of the night Edward had played me the piano piece he had written Olivia. I had looked up into the night sky and saw a rainbow shining above us, almost like our baby looking down and smiling at us. Iris would be a good name for my baby; it would leave her with a part of her sister.

Iris Cullen. It had a nice ring to it.

But, I had also had an attachment to the name Isla… I-lah. It's always sounded so mature and beautiful to me. It was Scottish, which made it all the more better. European names are always very pretty.

I'd have to talk to Edward about it later. He probably had a few names up his sleeve as well.

Fifteen minutes before the bell was set to ring, someone came over the intercom, calling for me to go to the front office. I raised my eyebrow and slowly headed for the principal's office.

Mr. Bradbury was sitting behind the front desk with his hands folded.

"Ms. Swan… how nice of you to join us."

Lauren craned her neck from the chair sitting in front of me. I didn't know if I should be scared or utterly ticked off. I looked at him, smiling, and took a seat, looking at Lauren with a questioning eye. She just shrugged.

"Now, girls, I called you down here to discuss a few matters." Mr. Bradbury said seriously. "As you know, you two are the current Valedictorian and Salutatorian." The two of us nodded and he continued talking. "And you also know that it's not just grades that we take into account for the top two titles."

"It also has to be with school participation, grades, and behavior."

"Yes, behavior." He stressed, looking from Lauren to myself.

Was this when Lauren would finally get busted for picking on people her entire high school life? Would it finally be over? An anxious feeling overtook me as I waited for him to say the words I'd been waiting four years to hear.

"In a small town, word gets around very quickly, as I'm sure you two know." He cleared his throat. "And I've been faced with an incredibly inappropriate situation regarding one of you two that has concerned me."

Mr. Bradbury.

"Ms. Swan, I cannot believe that you were actually foolish enough to get yourself pregnant!" He called out, pointing at me. "As the Valedictorian you should know better than that. You're setting an awful example for the younger classmen."

My jaw dropped.

"No, Mr. Bradbury, you don't - "

"Ms. Swan, please, no interruptions." He snapped at me. "You leave me no other choice than to demote you from your position as Valedictorian."

"But that's not fair! I've worked so hard for this!" I jumped up from my seat, tears streamed down my face without warning. "Unlike her, I don't have to sleep with my teachers for an A!"

A few years back, there had been a rumor that Lauren had slept with one of the younger teachers at our school for an A on her exam, which she was complaining that she hadn't studied for at all the day of. She had denied the rumor, but a few months later, the teacher had unexpectedly up and left. It had been almost too weird for it to be a coincidence.

"That's it!" Lauren stood up. "You bitch!"

She grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked it hard, pulling me down to the ground. I screamed as I fell, clenching my teeth together and kicking her in the skins. She too fell to the ground. Lauren quickly stood back up and kicked me in the stomach straight on.

I gasped, my hands instinctively going to my stomach to protect my baby girl.

"Screw you! Screw you and your stupid, little baby!" She screamed.

"You psycho!" I screamed back.

"GIRLS!" Mr. Bradbury yelled, standing in between the two of us. "There is no need for any of this! You need to get a hold of yourself!"

The three of us took a moment to calm down.

My head ached from hard she pulled her arm, and I was almost positive that there was an enormous bruise on my stomach. Edward was going to freak out when he saw this.

"Clearly, the two of you are capable of setting bad examples for the younger classmen. I honestly should demote the both of you!" He threatened. "But, I won't do that. You've worked too hard for that. Instead, I'm requiring that over fall break we work something our for the two of you."

"But I'm going to Switzerland over - "

"Ms. Thompson, it's either that or suspension and loss of Salutatorian position." He told her sternly. "You did physically attack another student."

"But she did too! And she provoked me!"

"It's called self defense." I reminded her. "And if you were to pay attention in history, you'd know that we do have this thing called Freedom of Speech. Go check out the first amendment."

Lauren glared at me before she stomped off for the second time today.

Gripping onto the bookshelf next to me, I pulled myself off and lifted my shirt up high enough to show my stomach. Sure enough, on the right side, there was a huge purple and black bruise. I touched it, and immediately gasped at the tenderness.

Mr. Bradbury instructed me to go straight to the nurse, and sent one of his officer workers to go and get my books from my last period class.

In the nurses office, I lied on the uncomfortable bed and wiggled around until I was comfortable. The nurse soon came by and put an ice pack on my stomach.

"Just hold it there for a little while. It'll help with the swelling."

"Will my baby be alright?" I asked, tears spilling from my eyes.

The nurse stopped in the doorway and walked over to me. She put her hand on my arms, which were rested underneath my head, and smiled. "I think so, darling. You can check in with your doctor if you're worried. You just stay here until you feel well enough to leave."

Once she was gone, I held the icepack on, and with my other hand, I rubbed my stomach. I knew that she couldn't hear me, but I whispered to my little girl that everything was going to be alright.

"I won't let anything hurt you." I whispered.

All of my things arrived, and as soon as they had, I pulled out my phone and texted Edward:

I'm in the nurses office. Can you come and get me once class is over? Please don't panic. Everything is alright. I'll explain later. Love you.

Minutes after the bell rang, Edward was in the nurses office looking like he had just been dragged through a briar patch. He ran up to me, a worried look in his bright green eyes. His eyes immediately went to my stomach, which I was still holding an icepack too.

He gasped as he pulled the icepack from my skin and circled the swelling bruise with his finger.

"Bella, what happened?"

I explained everything that happened, and found myself crying as I told the story. I couldn't believe that she has actually went to the extent of trying to physically hurt me and my baby.

"I'm going to kill her!" Edward called out once I had finished. "Where is she?"

"Edward, calm down, please - "

"I will not calm down! She tried to hurt you!"

I let the icepack fall , cringing at the pain, and lightly touched his hand. "I'm alright Edward. Let's just go to our doctor's appointment and see if the baby is alright to, okay? That's the best thing we ca do right now. We'll worry about Lauren later."

He bit his let and eventually let out a long breath and frustration. He then took my hand and helped me up. I found that it was incredibly painful with the bruise, but attempted to hide it as we walked.

Edward put me in the car then jumped into his own seat, quickly zooming down the road. Alice was already waiting in the backseat, like she had been for the past fifteen minutes. We caught her up to date with what had happened with Lauren, and she with Edward on trying to kill her.

I rolled my eyes and let them plan whatever they wanted. I was just going to try my best to ignore her.

When we were finally at the hospital, Alice waited in the waiting room and gave the both of us a hug as we walked on back to the observation room. Dr. Askew was already waiting for us with the equipment set up and ready to go.

"Edward… Bella, how are you two doing?"

"Um, I'm alright. I have a few questions for you."

"Well, why don't you lie down on the bed and we'll get you all settled in."

I followed our usual routine. Edward helped me up on the bed and held my hand once I was comfortable. Dr. Askew then stood in front of the bed, messing with the monitor of the ultrasound.

"Well, I've been getting morning sickness and eating a lot, which is normal." I told her. "But, long story short… someone kicked me and I got this." I lifted my shirt.

"Oh my… " Dr. Askew said, walking over to me and examining my stomach. She lightly pressed her fingers down on it and bit her lip. "Ice it. It'll help with the pain. I'll do an ultrasound to make sure the impact didn't hurt the baby."

I nodded and squeezed Edward's hand even tighter than before.

She flipped off the lights and put the warm gel on my stomach. She then rubbed the handheld tool on my skin and stared at the screen. She held it in one spot and pressed a button on her computer, freezing the screen.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, fidgeting in the bed.

"Well, I think that your baby is breeched."

Edward stiffened.

"What does that mean?" I asked, not so sure that I would like the answer.

"Normally a baby is supposed to be positioned so that the head is down here and the feet are up here. But you're baby," she pointed the screen, "is like this; with the head facing the opposite way of where it's supposed to be."

I put my hand on my stomach. "What can we do about it?"

"Nothing really. We wait and see if the baby flips herself around. If not, then we'll have to do a caesarian section instead of a vaginal birth."

Of all the people for this to happen to in the world, why us? Why does my baby have to breeched? Have we not been through enough hell these past few months? Edward and I have both been through enough pain and suffering for this to happen to us.

"But that won't be for another few months… I'm thinking that you're baby will be born around October 25th. It may be later, or sooner, but that's just an estimate." She smiled.

"October 25th… that's just after fall break."

My mind instantly flickered to the punishment that Lauren and I were meditated to go to over fall break. If our baby come only days earlier….

"I was actually planning on doing something for school over fall break. It's kind of mandatory." I told her. "Do you think it's okay to go?"

"Oh… well, I wouldn't suggest it."

Edward looked over at me with a look that said 'no'. I shook my head and turned around, refusing to meet his eyes.

"Let's hope that the baby turns. I'll see you guys next months. Just call for an appointment."

Edward and I both walked out of the doctor's office with our heads hung. Alice bounded up to us with a bright smile on her face.

"How'd it go?" When we didn't answer, she looked up at us with a pained expression. "Oh no… what happened?"

I headed out of the hospital before I could even answer her question. Alice called after me as I ran, but I ignored her. I heard Edward tell her to give me some time.

Standing in the summery, August night air, I cried. I cried for my baby. I cried for everything I had put my dad though; for everything I had put the Cullens through. Everything I had put Edward through, and even myself.

I never knew that wanting something so bad could hurt you just as much when you got it.

I would never take back my decision. I still wanted my baby, and I already loved her more than I could ever have imagined, but it was hard. It was hard dealing with people not understanding and people being judgmental and making up their mind about me before they know what's going on.

It's heartbreaking.

"Bella!" Alice called, running through the doors. "Bella, Bella… what's wrong?"

I crossed my hands over my chest. "The… baby is… breeched."

Her face fell and she stepped forward, as though unsure of what to say. She then pulled me into a hug, forcing my head against her tiny shoulder and held me there. My cries soon turned to wails and I found myself holding onto my best friend with what physical and emotional strength I had left.

"Well…" Alice began. "Let's get her un-breeched."

"What do you mean?" I sniffed, rubbing my nose and pulling away.

"There are home remedies online to get babies to turn around." She told me, then smiled. "Consider Operation: Un-Breech Baby ago!"

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><p><strong>So… I started writing this chapter in Florida and finished writing it in Louisiana (I travel a lot, as you can see). But, if you made it through reading this incredibly long chapter, I hope you liked it and don't forget to review!<strong>

**Ohm and follow me on twitter: halleybrown13. ;) **


	24. Unusual

**I don't know why, but for some reason I could NOT get this story out of my head. It's been irritating me for hours. Literally, I was really grouchy and acting mean, so I really had no other option than to pull out my laptop and write a new chapter. Kind of weird, ha. I guess it's a writer thing.**

**And I actually edited this chapter! I've had it written for almost three days now. I just didn't post it, hehe. **

**(Oh, and to the anon reviewer… I am fifteen years old!).**

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><p><em>BPOV<em>

The first week of school had been much more eventful than I had hoped for.

My teachers were already pounding me with pages and pages of homework and major tests and quizzes were just around the corner. I was up until midnight, if not later, every night studying, which left me with only five short hours of sleep, except for when I woke up with nightmares or morning sickness. Then I was left with even less sleep.

As if that wasn't enough, I was still left with the stress of my baby being breeched and wondering how, and if, I could get her to flip.

On Thursday night, while I was sitting on Edward's bed doing my algebra homework and waiting for him to come home from cross country practice, someone knocked lightly on the door.

"Come in." I said, sitting up on the bed, appreciating the excuse for a well deserved break.

Alice popped her head in the door with a smile on her face. She walked in wearing her favorite pair of Juicy Couture sweatpants and a tank top. Her dark hair was wet and flat against her head. She stood in front of me and kicked her foot so it was leaning against the inside of her knee with her right hand on her hip.

"Whatcha doing?"

I held up my algebra book and smiled. "Math."

"Ew." She wrinkled her nose.

I rolled my eyes and slowly rubbed my stomach, being careful not to touch my bruise. It still looked horrible; a purple, blue, and black swelling circle, the size of a baseball. I'll admit that it hurt like hell - not that I would tell Edward that. He was still outrageously upset about it, and was threatening to press charges against Lauren. I told him to drop it. Bringing the law into our lives would only overcomplicate everything more than it already was.

"Did you need something?" I asked, stretching my arms out wide.

"Oh! Well, I just found out that they have season one of Pretty Little Liars on Netflix. Do you want to watch it with me?"

It was the off season for Alice and Rosalie's favorite show, and they were clearly suffering from withdrawal. The both of them had been reading the books an looking for reruns online for weeks now.

"Sorry, I still have another fifteen math problems to do." I told her, frowning. "But go on ahead without me."

Alice sighed. "Bella, it's only the first week of school. You don't have to completely immerse yourself in school yet."

"But that's just the thing, I do!" I corrected her. "I'll fall behind if I don't."

She looked around the room, tapping her foot, as though thinking. "Alright, but tomorrow night we are doing something."

"What if I - "

"You want to turn that baby around, don't you? I didn't come up with Operation: Un-breech baby for no reason!"

I sighed heavily

Apparently Edward's technique of pulling the baby card on me was spreading to everyone else in the world, which was extremely irritating, mostly because majority the time it was true.

"Okay, tomorrow night." I agreed, then stopped. "But I do have to go to senior night tomorrow. So, after I get back from that."

"Sounds great!" Alice clapped her hands together and ran out of the room.

The moment that the door was closed, I pulled out my textbook and started on the next math problem. The work wasn't hard, it was just time consuming. Ms. Williams was demanding that we write out every single detail or no credit was given at all, and homework grades weren't for participation; they was for correction.

At least this my last year of ever having to do math. This time next year, I would be going to whatever college I chose, taking whatever classes I wanted.

Edward and I hadn't discussed college yet. Obviously we'd have to go to the same college, or ones that are within driving distance of where wherever we're living at that point and time. I have no idea what I wanted to major in. With everything that's been going on in the past year, I hadn't even had time to think about it. I haven't even applied for scholarships or started saving up money…

What if I didn't get to go to college?

What if there was only enough time and money for one of us to go school? Of course it would be Edward. I'd make sure of it. I would rather he go out and do what he wants to do with his future while I stay at home with the baby. Daycare always an option, but that would be even more money, which meant getting a job…

I shut my textbook and rubbed my temples. I was beginning to give myself a headache with all of this thinking.

Looking over at the clock, I saw that it was nearing seven. Edward should have been home by now. I picked up my cell phone, and sure enough there was a new message from him blinking on the screen.

Practice was running late so we decided to go out for dinner. Do you want anything?

That was sent almost forty minutes ago. I flipped out my keyboard and texted back.

No, I'm fine. I'll eat leftovers. (: Don't stay out too late, we do have school in the morning…

I threw my phone on the bed and walked over to the closet, grabbing one of Edward's hoodies from the white, plastic hanger. I shrugged out of my clothes and dropped them to the ground. I pulled open one of the drawers, Edward's drawer, and grabbed the first thing I could find.

I liked wearing his clothes. It made me feel like he was right next to me.

I pulled the hoodie over my head and yanked the plaid boxers on. They looked baggy on my legs, and the sweatshirt hid my baby bump. Wearing his clothes also made me feel… smaller.

I took my hair down from the ponytail it had been in all day and shook out my hair. There were knots and tangles all throughout it, but I didn't care. I walked out of the room and downstairs, into the kitchen.

I yanked open the refrigerator and stared at the shelves.

The Cullen's always had plenty of food in their house. Mostly because every time Emmett comes home for an unexpected visit, he eats everything in sight. And with Emmett comes Rosalie, which means that instead of five mouths to feed, there are seven.

"What to eat, what to eat…" I muttered to myself.

Sitting on the top shelf was a box of leftover Chinese takeout. I stood on my tiptoes to reach it and put it in the microwave to heat it up. While it cooked, I poured myself a glass of ice cold water. When the microwave beeped, I pulled the box out and set it on the table. The smell of Chinese food hit me like a heat wave when I opened the box.

I didn't know how to use chopsticks. There are pictures of me when I was three years old attempting to use them; I picked up one tiny grain of rice with them at a time. Still to this day, I didn't know how to work them. I laughed at myself and grabbed a fork.

Being pregnant, you're always hungrier than you think you are. When you don't think you're hungry, you are. And when you're starving, you eat enough for an army of ten thousand men.

I quickly ate my food and dumped it in the trashcan when I was done. After putting the fork in the sink, I walked upstairs and back into Edward's empty bedroom.

I pulled out my textbook and finished the last few math problems that I had left to do. Ever so often, my eye would drift over to the clock, which now read eight o'clock. I was exhausted, but Edward wasn't back yet. I wanted to make sure that he was home and safe before I went to bed.

Now finished with my homework, I closed my book and dropped it on the floor. Reaching over, I pulled the book I was reading out of my backpack and opened it up to a random page. I didn't care what page it was; I had read it at least twenty times.

I turned off the light, and left the little bedside lamp on.

'Just read for a little bit. He'll be home before you know it.'

I leaned back on the pillows and started reading. Fifteen minutes later, I was passed out on Edward's bed with the book falling from my hand.

Last period on a Friday afternoon always made me feel anxiously excited. The thought that I had two days to relax, catch up on sleep, and get some homework done never failed to excite me. Even though I had an AP class for last period, the teacher, Mr. Nuthak, seemed to be pretty lenient… and hilarious.

Halfway during the class when we were all doing busywork, of which I had finished in all of ten minutes, I picked up the nerve to walk up to his desk.

"Um, excuse me, Mr. Nuthak?" I asked.

He looked up at me. "Yes, Bella? Is there a problem?"

"Oh, no, no… I was just wondering if I could go up to the principal's office for a moment; valedictorian stuff." I laughed breathlessly.

"You've finished your work?"

I nodded. "Yes, sir. Would you like me to bring it to you?"

He shook his head. "No, I believe you. Here's a pass."

Mr. Nuthak wrote me a pass that excuse me from class and to the office. I grabbed my bag and shoved all of my books into it, just incase I wouldn't be back in time for the end of the day. I walked out of the room as quickly as I could, and practically ran to the office.

Mrs. Cope sat in her desk, her glasses pushed up against her nose. I walked up to her and smiled, asking where I could find Mr. Bradbury. She pointed into his office without another word. I mumbled a quick "thank you" and scurried into his room.

I knocked lightly on the door. "Mr. Bradbury?"

"Who is it?" He answered.

"Bella Swan. Could I come in? I need to talk to you about something."

"Oh, of course! You actually just caught me. I was about to leave for a faculty meeting." He said as I opened the door, chuckling to himself. "Please come in. What can I do for you, Miss Swan?"

I stepped into his office and looked around at the boring walls. Everything was so plain. The walls were white with plaques hanging on each and every one of them. A fake tree stood by his dark, wooden desk, and two wooden chairs sat in front of it.

"Well, it's about the thing over fall break." I explained, trying to sound as reasonable as possible. "I really don't think that I'll be able to do it because my doctor said that - "

"Miss Swan, we've been over this. Either you do what is planned with Miss Thompson over the break or you will face my other option for consequences."

"You don't understand! My baby is - "

Mr. Bradbury cleared his throat, as though he was clearly not in the mood for interruptions. "Miss Swan, I really do not have time for this! Either you are going or you or not. What will it be?"

I tapped my foot heavily on the ground and looked up at the ceiling, biting my lip. My thoughts instantly went back to the conversation Edward and I had had this earlier this morning… 

* * *

><p><em>It was barely light outside when Edward and I made our way to his car that morning. Alice had left for school earlier to help one of her teachers grade papers; she was his teacher assistant for first period since she had a study hall.<em>

_I yawned as I took my seat and snuggled against the leather. Thank God Edward had seat warmers in this car. Even though it was the beginning of August it was nearing sixty degrees!_

_I leaned forward and turned on the radio like I did every morning. It was almost like a routine: get in the car, turn on seat warmer, and find a good radio station while Edward drove._

_This morning, though, Edward turned down the sound and looked over at me._

_"Edward? What's wrong?"_

_He took a deep breath. "Bella, I need you to promise me something."_

_My eyes widened. "That depends on what it is…"_

_"Bella, please, just promise me." He pleaded with me. His green eyes were full of desperation, his voice full of worry._

_"Alright…" I agreed, nervously._

_"I'm not going to be here for the first few days of fall break. I had a cross country meet in California." He paused for a moment, then reached over and grabbed my hand. "Promise me that you won't go with Lauren for your 'punishment', or whatever the hell that damn principal is calling it. I don't think it's safe. Not just because the timing is awful… but I just don't trust her."_

_"Edward, I have to go!" I fought back. "I can't let her get my Valedictorian spot because I didn't go to some retarded thing with her. I've worked too hard for that." My voice cracked and tears rimmed my eyes._

_I couldn't let something like that happen. Academics have literally been my life these past four years. I'd worked my ass off to get that number one spot and I wasn't going to back down now._

_"Shh… Bella, don't cry." He murmured. I had hardly even noticed that we were in the parking lot now. "I'm sorry, don't be upset. I just don't want you to get hurt."_

_I sniffled loudly and looked down at our hands, which were still intertwined._

_"Let's go to class now." I suggested, wiping my eyes and grabbing my backpack from the floor._

* * *

><p>Technically, I hadn't told him I wouldn't go. Technically, I wouldn't be lying to him. But deep down inside, I knew it was the wrong thing to do. Because if something did go wrong, I had nobody but myself to blame.<p>

I looked up at Mr. Bradbury. "I'll be there."

"That's what I thought you'd say." He said. I felt an invisible smirk playing across his face. I was really beginning to hate this guy. "Now get back to class. I have a meeting to go to."

"Wait!" I stopped him. "Can I ask what the, uh, punishment will be?"

He looked around the room. "I was planning on telling the two of you together, but since you're already here…" Mr. Bradbury let out a long sigh. "Quite some time ago, the school attained some property for an agricultural class we once had. They spent so much time back there, that they would often camp out in the woods in cabins they had built over the weekends to care for the plants.

"With that said… the two of you will stay in the cabin for the duration of fall break. It belongs to the school, so it shouldn't be a problem. You'll have cell phones, and I'll be at the school, as usual, all day every day from six in the morning to two in the afternoon."

I raised one eyebrow at him

What the hell? What kind of punishment was that? Was it even legal? Leaving two teenage girls to fend for themselves in the middle of the goddamn woods; that's ridiculous!

"Now if you'll excuse me, I really do have to get to this meeting." Mr. Bradbury excused himself before I had a chance to question him and quickly left the room.

I glanced up at the clock. There were only five minutes until the end of the day. I dropped the idea of going back to class and went to my locker before Lauren could stand there for twenty minutes just to irritate me.

By the time I had slammed my locker shut, the bell echoed through the hallways and a flow of people exploded from the doors. I slung my back over my shoulder and walked out of the school.

It might have been the end of the day for everyone else, but for me, it was only just getting started. I had senior night to go to, and that took a lot of preparation. I had to go straight to the gymnasium to help set up.

Even though school had just let out, there were many college scouts waiting in the room looking lost and confused. I introduced myself to all of them and instructed them to set up their tables as they pleased.

I watched as they all set up, and suddenly, the question of whether or not I would get to go to college popped in my mind. I tried my hardest to forget about it, but I couldn't. Because the truth was, I did want to go to school. I wanted to experience being in classes with people who were serious. I wanted to graduate and maybe someday get a job.

I knew that there was a major possibility of it not happening. I also know that it's very likely that I'll be home all day taking care of a baby. But, if that is the case… I'm fine with it. This is the life I chose, and with that choice comes sacrifice and responsibility.

More people started to show up; some with food stands, others with sign up tables for senior events in the future (like mess-fest, the food fight on the baseball field, or the lock in at the school at the end of the year).

I directed each and everyone of them, which required a lot of walking. My poor feet soon began to ache, and I felt them swelling in my shoes. I looked around to make sure that nobody was looking, and I kicked my shoes off in the corner.

Soon it was not only my feet that began to ache, but the rest of my body. I felt tired and stressed and hungry. Fortunately, I wasn't required to stay for the duration of senior night. I was there to help set up and stay for the first fifteen minutes, passing out information sheets, answering questions, and basically looking like a model student until I was given the all clear to leave.

I jumped into Edward's Volvo as usual, since he got a ride home with friends from cross country every day, and drove straight home with nothing but the thought of a hot bath in my mind.

I parked the car, and walked into the house, taken aback by what I saw.

The entire Cullen family was sitting in the living room, all staring at the front door. The furniture was all pushed into the corner of the room, leaving an empty space. Sitting in the middle of the room was a table, covered with blankets and pillows, with a CD player and an iPod underneath. A few towels sat around the room, as did other various items.

"What's going on?" I asked, uneasily.

"We're going to do out best to turn that baby around!" Alice said, enthusiastically. Then gestured towards Laura, who was standing in the corner of the room. "I thought that calling her up would be the best thing to do, since she's an expert, and you never know about things on the internet." She rolled her eyes.

I was absolutely shocked.

This shouldn't surprise me. It really shouldn't. This is Alice we're talking about! She plans every party and every occasion that anyone has. I should've known that this wouldn't be an exception.

But still, she brought Laura out here - my baby class instructor!

Laura walked up to me and put her hands on my shoulders. "Bella, we will get that baby to turn. I know exactly what you're going through. My first little boy was breeched… it was awful." She shuttered. "I learned some remedies from old friends, and they worked. That's when I decided I wanted to open my own childbirth classes. I don't want other women to feel the same panic that I did."

I really loved how open Laura was about things.

She instructed me to sit on the floor, where they had a soft blanket set up. She then called Edward over to sit down in front of me.

"We're going to start with visualization, alright? It sounds weird, I know. Many of the exercises are weird." Laura chuckled. "Just close your eyes, take deep breaths hold onto Edward's hands and imagine that your baby is in a normal position."

I raised my eyebrow in question at her. This was more than a little weird. It was very weird! I shook my head and closed my eyes, inhaling and exhaling deeply until I felt completely relaxed. In my mind, I tried to imagine my little girl. I imagined her as happy and healthy as a baby could be.

'Please, do not make me have a C-section.' I thought to her. 'Please be a good little girl and turn around for mommy…'

We all sat in silence for what seemed like forever. I held onto Edward's hands and focused on my breathing and my thoughts, feeling like a complete idiot the entire time. Thinking that my baby was in a normal position would not make her move in a certain position.

"Okay, I think that's long enough." Laura announced, clapping her hands. "Let's try a few more of the simple ones."

I soon came to discover that the simple ideas meant the insane ones.

They started off not too bad; just like any other normal stretches and awkward positions Edward and I would have went through during a Sunday morning baby class. Emmett, who was watching in amusement from the couch, whistled suggestively at us during some of the poses. Edward cursed at him under his breath and my cheeks burned a bright, bright red.

Some of the other techniques she made me go through were just weird.

Take doing a headstand for example. Laura and even insisted doing it in the pool but Carlisle told her that the chlorine level was off - whether it was true or just for my sake, I didn't care. She turned out all the lights and moved a flashlight from the top of my stomach to the bottom repeatedly, and even put clothespins on my toes!

And here sat Emmett, laughing and video taping the entire thing. I was going to kill him once this was over with.

There was one memorable part of the experience, though.

"Alright, Bella." Laura said, about an hour into things. She had just finished massaging my stomach, and showed Edward how to do it as well, seeing as she how was demanding that we repeat these exercises on a daily basis. I shivered at Edward's soft, timid touch on my stomach. The thought that his hands were inches away from our baby was just beautiful to me. "We're going to let your baby listen to some music now."

"I've heard about that before." Jasper spoke up. "Classical music, right?"

"Yes!" She smiled at Jasper. "I have a CD player right here and some headphones."

"Wait." Edward interrupted. "I have a CD of my own… it's classical. Could we use that instead?"

Laura shrugged her shoulders. "I don't see why not."

Edward jumped up from his seat right next to me and bounded up the stairs. I could hear his footsteps thumping around in his room. Everyone looked at each other with a confused expression, but no one said a word. Moments later, he was back downstairs holding clear CD case.

He stood by my side and handed the case to me.

Tears immediately flooded my eyes when I read it. Written in a black marker on the top of the silver CD was the name Olivia. Edward smiled at me and wiped the tears from my eyes with his finger. He kissed me lightly on the forehead and handed it to Laura, who popped it into the CD player.

"Just so that she can think of her sister…" Edward whispered in my ear. There was a certain edge to his voice. I immediately recognized it as pain and mourning.

No, I had not forgotten about my Olivia Isabel. She was, and always would be, my little girl. I loved her with every ounce of my heart, and even though I never got to meet her, I know that she was just as lovely as I had imagined her.

Wherever she was, I hoped she was happy. That's all I could ever ask for.

Edward clutched onto my hand and rubbed my fingers with his thumb. I whimpered softly and held back a mountain of tears as we sat there together in silence.

Ten minutes later, Laura pulled back the headphones and handed Edward the CD back. "Well, I hope that this helped. Don't forget to repeat these daily." She looked over at me and smiled softly, putting her hand on my cheek. "It's going to be okay, Bella." She dropped her hand and looked back at the both of us. "I'll see you Sunday."

And with that, she was gone.

Esme agreed that we should just order pizza for the night, which everyone agreed to. Alice, looked at me hopefully, and asked if I would watch Pretty Little Liars with her and Rosalie for the night. When I hesitantly looked over at Edward, she said that he could join us for the night if he wanted to.

Edward, being the loving boyfriend he was, said that he was up for anything I wanted to do. Emmett and Jasper quickly agreed to hang out with their girlfriends as well.

"Can I have a few minutes to take a shower?" I whispered to him while Alice and Rosalie scrolled through the incredibly long list of episodes.

"Of course, love."

I kissed him light on the lips and skipped upstairs for a shower. I put the water as high as it would go and jumped on in. I scrubbed away all my worries and watched as they all went down the drain.

Now in an excessively good mood, I wrapped myself in a towel and pulled on a pair of my own sweatpants and Edward's black hoodie. After yanking a brush through my tangled hair, I grabbed a blanket off of the bed and slowly walked down the stairs.

"Hey, look!" Emmett called out, pointing to me as I walked in the room.

I stopped dead in my tracks, turning around to see what he was pointing at. It was only then that I realized he was pointing at me. "What did I do?"

He shook his head. "Walk again."

"Walk? Why?"

"Please just do it!" Emmett demanded.

I hesitantly walked around the room, not so sure of what I was doing. Emmett chuckled from the couch, and soon so was everyone else. I stopped walking and put my hands on my hips.

"What is so funny?" I asked, angrily.

"Bella,' Rosalie began, "you have the 'pregnant waddle'."

"What?"

"You know, the pregnant waddle." Alice chimed in, smiling. "I've never noticed it until now. It's not a bad thing. It's cute!"

I rolled my eyes.

Two boxes of pizza sat on the coffee table in front of the couches, which were now pushed back into their usual arrangement. I grabbed a slice and threw the blanket onto the couch where Edward sat and snuggled down next to him.

He kissed the top of my head and wrapped his arms around me.

"Wearing my sweatshirt, I see." He teased.

"I can go change if you want…"

"No." He shook his head and smiled. "I like it."

A blush crept along my cheeks and I rested my head against his chest, taking in his sweet, scent. Edward didn't have to wear cologne to smell good. He just did.

Alice and Rosalie argued back and fourth over which episode they should watch, before Jasper finally intervened and told them to start with the first one so that the rest of us would know what was going on for the next twenty two episodes (yes, twenty two).

Someone flipped the lights off, and I pulled the blankets closer, staring at the television screen. Thunder was roaring and lightning was flashing at the sleepover with five girls; you're typical cliché story line.

"Are you even watching this?" I whispered into Edward's ear about fifteen minutes into the show.

He chuckled and shook his head no.

I laced my fingers into his mine and leaned up to whisper in his ear once again. "So, I had a few baby names that I thought would be nice."

"What were you thinking?" Edward asked in a hushed tone.

"Well… I really liked Iris." I admitted. "And the name Isla."

"Isabel… Iris… Isla… what's with you and the 'I' names?" He chuckled. "They're all beautiful names. I love them all."

"What names were you thinking?" I questioned.

Edward sat for a moment, as though unsure of what I would think of his answer. He cleared his throat and spoke very hesitantly. "Well, I kind of like the name Jane…and Aveline."

Huh. Aveline. A-va-leen. It was for sure a unique name, and was most definitely beautiful. I'd never met anyone with that name, let alone heard it before. And Jane would for sure make a pretty middle name.

"I know, they're kind of weird…"

"No, no." I interrupted, quietly. "I like them a lot."

Edward looked down at me and smiled. He then pulled me so I was sitting up and staring right at him. His slid his right hand up my sweatshirt and onto my bare stomach, almost caressing it. I held back a gasp when his fingers traced over the swelling bruise, and he noticed. An apologetic look fell over his face and he pulled his hand back.

I shook my head and grabbed his hand, resting it against my stomach once more. Then, I leaned in to kiss him by pressing my lips against his, feeling the soft, sweet passion fill the room.

I suddenly felt a tiny thud from inside of me.

"Oh!" I gasped, and looked at Edward who had the same surprised expression that I had. We had both just felt our baby - whatever her name would be - kick.

And I couldn't have been happier.

* * *

><p><strong>And so the naming game BEGINS! What name do you think the little Cullen girl should have?: Iris, Isabel, Jane, or Aveline. I'm going to let you guys decide! Or if you have your own suggestion, let me know. If I like it enough, I may just use it. Review with your answer. I'm hoping to hit the three hundred mark by the end of this story… ;)<strong>

**Xoxo, twilight37.**

**P.S. There is much drama to come in the next chapter. I'll keep you posted if you keep reading and reviewing! **


	25. We'll Be Alright

**First of all, oh my god. I got SO much feedback on the last chapter. I'm not even kidding. I have almost ninety emails all from you guys with reviews, story alerts, author alerts… can you say insane? I also went up by more than twenty reviews! THANK YOU! **

**It's raining outside, I'm listening to 'scary' music, and I'm ready to write this chapter… which will be very suspenseful. ;)**

* * *

><p><em>BPOV<em>

_Two months later…_

The school bell echoed through the hallways, followed by a mountain of kids running out of the classroom doors. Papers through all over and people cheered loudly, banging their fists against the lockers, and talking.

I rolled my eyes.

It wasn't even summer vacation; it was fall break!

The school year had been going by faster than I had hoped. Before I even had time to blink, the leaves on the trees were falling in beautiful colors of orange, red, and brown. The weather had turned from warm to cold overnight, and now we were done with the first nine weeks of school!

My grades had kept up though, and I was still currently the Valedictorian, even if it was by the skim of my teeth. Lauren was so close to stealing it that it was almost as if she was on my back. It freaked me out. And it didn't help that she had appeared in some of my nightmares… the one where the doctor tries to operate and kill me. I shuddered.

I didn't have to wait for Lauren to finish primping at our locker today because she hadn't shown up. Not that I cared. As long as she was here tomorrow was all that really mattered.

Tomorrow was the day that I destined myself to be alone with Lauren in the woods. I had yet to tell Edward, who was leaving tonight for his cross country trip, and wasn't going to. He had begged me not to go, and I didn't have the heart to tell him that I was going anyway. Knowing him, he would have followed me, refusing to leave my side.

It was a serious risk that I was taking. It was already a stretch that I was still going to school. My doctor, and Edward, had suggested - no, begged - against me going everyday, but, once again, I had stubbornly refused.

Being the Valedictorian might be the only thing that gets me into college. I'm bound to get at least _one _full ride scholarship to the same university Edward wants to go to. It would save us time and money in the long run.

I put my notebook into my locker and shut it, only to find Edward standing on the other side, smiling my favorite crooked smile.

"Hey." He said, chuckling at my startled reaction to him.

"You scared me." I said, breathlessly.

He winked and walked towards me, pulling me into his arms. I rested my head against his shoulder and closed my eyes, lightly gripping onto his shoulder. He smelt so good, and his body felt warm against mine. I pulled myself closer to him and smiled as he slowly swayed back and forth.

"How was your day?" He whispered softly in my ear, tucking a strand of hair behind it as he spoke.

"Pretty boring… until now."

Edward's green eyes sparkled with happiness, and he pressed his sweet lips against mine, enticing my inner emotions. I stood on my tiptoes and ran my fingers through his bronze, rain darkened hair.

He was perfect and he was mine.

Someone behind me cleared their throat. Edward, with his arms still around me, rolled his eyes. I turned my head to the side and saw a very impatient Alice standing with her arms crossed, tapping her foot.

"Edward." She said.

"Alice." Edward replied.

"Can you two please stop having a moment in the hallway so that I can get home?" She asked. "Believe it or not, I wouldn't like to spend my fall break at school."

"Sure, sure, we'll meet you at the car."

"But I've been waiting there for fifteen minutes!"

Edward sighed heavily and rolled his eyes. He gave me a look that said, 'we'll do this later', and I nodded in agreement. He the locked his hand with mine and we followed Alice - who was very irritable now- to the car. I slumped into the backseat and tried to relax on the car ride home.

Once the car was parked, Alice ran into the house, her phone glued to her ear.

"What's she up to?"

"I believe she's doing something with Jasper tonight, but," he shrugged his shoulders, "how should I know?"

The two of us went upstairs and straight to his room to start packing for his cross country trip. Edward pulled out a small, black bag and started grabbing clothes before he tossed them in. I helped him pick out a few things, and even folded all of the clothes properly into the bag.

I grabbed some other things for him - toothbrush, toothpaste, and socks - and put them in the smaller pouch of the bag.

"Thanks for helping." He said, pulling on the zipper until it was shut tight. "I really appreciate it." He continued, walking over to me.

"Mhm…" I said, holding back the guilt in my voice as he left a trail of kisses down my jaw line, and put his hand on the small of my back, exposing my pale skin.

He was being too sweet to me when I really didn't deserve it. I was going behind his back and doing something that we both know is a bad idea. If anything, he should yell at me. He should threaten me with something or use something against me… anything! I couldn't have him being adorably sweet. Every kiss was oozing with guilt.

I shook my head slowly and wrapped my arms around my neck. Edward raised one eyebrow and took a step back.

"What?"

"No, nothing." I lied convincingly. "I just feel achy."

"I can fix that." Edward offered. I tried to object but before I could, he was rubbing his thumbs deeply into my shoulders. I closed my eyes and was instantly mesmerized by the amazing relief of tension. He kissed the back of my neck as he massaged me, and the hair on my arms rose at the sudden emotion.

He would be the death of me, I swear.

"Don't you need to get going?" I whispered.

"I can be running a little late…"

"No, Edward…" I scolded him, softly. He chuckled at my dazed state, but dropped his hands to his side. I turned to face him and smiled.

"Alright, I probably should get going." He admitted, grabbing the bag and slinging it over his shoulder. He then turned to me and held me in his arms once again. I let him hold me, and embraced his sweet smell and soft, warm skin.

No, I didn't deserve his affection, but it was impossible to ignore when he was showering me with affection.

"I'll be back next Saturday." He told me. "Please stay safe; for you and the baby."

I nodded slowly.

Edward caressed me, holding my face in his hands. He pressed lips against mine once, twice, and then again. He looked at me for another moment, smiled, and walked out of the room leaving me all alone.

I fell on the bed and pulled a pillow to my chest, burying my face into it and letting the tears fall.

What had I gotten myself into?

* * *

><p>Everything was set and ready to go.<p>

I had woken up at the crack of dawn this morning to pack my bag. In went everything from clothes to blankets to food. I had silently crept down the stairs and out the front door, into the early morning light.

Alice was the only person who knew the truth. I had practically begged her to cover for me, and after days of hard thinking, she had agreed. What she had planned was beyond me, but if it works, it works.

I jumped into my beat up, old truck and turned the car on.

It had been ages since I had driven my truck. The faint smell of dampness and tobacco still filled the small car, and as much as I had hated it before, I had never realized how much I had missed it.

Being used to the smooth ride of Edward's Volvo, it took me a minute to adjust to the bumpiness of my truck. It didn't take corners very well, and it was a danger zone to go faster then sixty, but it was my truck, and I loved it.

I drove straight to the school, blasting music to drown out my thoughts.

Once I had arrived, there were two other cars in the parking lot. I pulled up right next to them and saw none other than Lauren sitting on her car, huddling with a blanket, with her bags right next to her.

I got out of my car and slammed the car door behind me before joining her.

"How long have you been here?"

"What took you so long?" She snapped, her teeth chattering. "I've been out here for God knows how long. Can we just go to the cabin? I'm freezing."

"Shouldn't be wait for Mr. Bradbury?"

"No." She said. "He told me to go straight there when you get here… which I thought would have sooner. We'll have to drive down there - " Lauren pointed to a small path just big enough for a car to fit through. "Park, then walk some." She looked over at my truck then scrunched her nose. "We can use _my_ car."

I shook my head, already annoyed by her bad attitude. The two of us got into her car, throwing our stuff in the backseat. She immediately cranked the heat and tried to warm her shaking fingers over the small vent.

"Do you want me to drive?"

Lauren didn't answer. She simply threw her long, blonde hair over her shoulder and slowly drove the car towards the narrowed path. She drove until it was absolutely impossible for her to drive any further - and would be impossible to get out by the looks of it - and slumped back in her chair.

It was cozy and warm inside of the car. I didn't want to leave.

I knew that if I didn't get out now, there was no chance I would leave fifteen minutes from now. Reluctantly, I snatched my stuff from the backseat and got out of the car. In the sky, a patch of black clouds were beginning to roll in. I tried not to look at it and hurried into the abandon cabin.

I looked for a light switch so I could get a better look of the room, but there was none; only small candles scattered throughout the room. I went around lighting each of them with a lighter I had found in the room until I could finally get a better view of everything.

There were two beds, one on the right side, the other on the left side, alone with window by each bed. At the end of the room was another door - a bathroom, I presumed. It was absolutely freezing in the cabin. I shivered and dropped my stuff on the bed on the right side of the room, then searched for a thermostat, which was nonexistent.

No electricity, no heat.

Perfect.

Lauren ran in moments later, all bundles up in her purple parka. Her cheeks were bright red, as was her nose. She sniffled and set her stuff on the other empty bed.

"Why did you light candles? This is not some goddamn - "

"There's no electricity." I interrupted her.

"What do you mean there's no electricity?" She cried, running around the room for some kind of light. "No, no, no… I need power. How am I supposed to do my hair?"

I pulled out a book from my backpack and slumped on the bed, snugglingin the blanket. "You don't."

Lauren stomped her foot on the ground and ran over to her bed, rummaging through her bag for something. I rolled my eyes at her girlish temper tantrum then got back to my book. It should be easy to ignore her complaining for the next few days.

The entire day was excessively boring.

Not only was the cell phone service out from the bad weather, but it was freezing cold inside of the cabin, and the fact that it was pouring down rain outside wasn't helping. I had tried reading and even listening to music to distract myself from the cold, but it was no use. My whole body was shaking and I was almost positive that my toes were about to fall off.

I grabbed a pair of socks and a hoodie, Edward's hoodie, from my bag and put them both on. I always pulled out the blanket I had brought and added it to the blanket I had already.

I ate some of the food I had brought from home, even though there was food in some of the cabinet's in the cabin. I quickly munched on a few granola bars and tea, that was now cold.

After my stomach was full, I lay back down and cuddled with my blankets. Lauren was sitting on her bed painting her nails, finally settling down after her numerous fits. The only sound was the sound of the rain pelting against the ground. I closed my eyes and thought of Edward.

Within moments, I was out.

* * *

><p>I shot up in bed, panting.<p>

Damn nightmares.

Lightning flashed brightly in the sky, lightning up the gloominess. Thunder clapped in the dark, storming sky of which black and gray clouds covered like a blanket, hugging away every ounce of sunlight.

I instantly hugged onto my pillows and wrapped myself into my blankets. I wished Edward was here. He always held me when I had a nightmare. I could almost feel his soft lips against my clammy skin, and his warm body protecting me from the raging storm.

Lauren looked up at me from her magazine and raised her eyebrow.

"What time is it?" I mumbled.

"I don't know. Half past midnight, I think." She looked back down at her magazine and flipped through the flimsy pages. Even in the dim light, I could see her; her blonde hair in a ponytail, her long sleeved pants and shirt, the hot pink nail polish on her nails.

Everything felt so vivid and real.

"You okay…?" She asked. "You look kind of pale… or paler than usual. You should try tanning someday."

"No, I just had a nightmare." I told her, ignoring her comment about my pale skin. I looked over at my phone and reached for it. Edward might not be here next to me, but it doesn't meant that I can't call him, even if it is the dead of the night.

"Don't bother. There's still no cell service."

As I reached over to grab my phone, I felt a sudden pain shoot straight to my abdomen. I gasped and dropped my hand to my stomach, trying to find the source of the unfamiliar pain; it was unlike anything I had ever felt before. I squeezed my eyes shut and clutched tighter and tighter onto my protruding stomach, gasping for breath.

Lauren stared at me and dropped her magazine on her bed.

"Oh my god." I breathed heavily.

"Bella?" She said, stepping up from her bed, looking at me with a worried look in her blue eyes. She slowly walked towards me, an obvious sign of hesitation in each step.

"Something's wrong…" I managed to spit out between breaths.

"What is it? Bella, you're scaring me…"

"I think… it's… time." I told her slowly. "The baby… is… coming."

Lauren opened her mouth, as if to say something, but was quickly cut off by the lights immediately switching off. I sat in the dark, panting, and clutching onto the sheets underneath me. The pain in my stomach was slowly spreading to my back, and was only getting worse.

"Shit."

Tears immediately flooded my eyes.

Here I was, alone, in the middle of the goddamn woods with no electricity, no phone service, in the middle of the night, my boyfriend was miles away from home, and my baby was on the way.

This was a horrible idea. I should have listened to Edward. I should have followed my instincts. But there was no turning back now. What was done, was done, and Lauren and I were in a heap of trouble.

I heard Lauren stumble around the room. There was a small light coming from the other side of the room, and I recognized it as her cell phone. She held it up in the air, walking around in panicked circles.

"Please work, please, please, please!" She cried. "Oh my god, please."

I whimpered loudly.

She looked over at me for a split second, then to the door. She ran over and flung it open, revealing the pitch black night. Rain immediately pelted the wooden floors, and a gust of strong, cold wind flew into the room, spraying a mist of the rain in my direction.

Lauren then ran over to me, her footsteps thudding against the creaky floorboards.

"Bella, we have to get you out of here."

"But the car is…" I breathed deeply, my hand going limp on my stomach. "Far away."

"I know, but you can't have the baby here. You just can't. I don't know how to deliver a baby!" Lauren whispered, tugging on my arm. "Come on, Bella."

I sat up and slowly turned so that my legs were dangling off of the bed. Lauren then grabbed a hold of both of my hands and gently brought me to my feet. The throbbing in my stomach only deepened as I stood. I fell to my knees, bringing Lauren down to the ground with me.

She shook her head and gripped tightly onto my hands now, forcing me back up. I gasped quietly at the sudden, harsh contraction, and looked over at Lauren - though she couldn't see me - with painful eyes.

Lauren draped my arm around her shoulder, and her arm around my waist. Now with almost all of my weight on her, she headed for the door. We both dragged our feet simultaneously; like a rhythm that danced along with the pounding rainstorm.

When we reached the door, she kicked open with the door, revealing the darkness once again.

This time, she took no moment to hesitate. She stood up straight, repositioned my arm on her shoulder and walked straight outside.

We were instantly drenched by the rain that beat down on our skin. As if we couldn't see before, it was only worse now. The rain destroyed what little vision we had. Now we were walking what seemed like aimlessly through the woods. The wind blew strongly in my face, whipping my cheeks. I could hear the trees swaying back and forth, and the whooshing sound as it circled the empty woods.

I whimpered again.

What if I didn't make it to the car in time? What if I had the baby right now, in the middle of the woods? She would surely die if that happened, and I would never be able to forgive myself if it did. I don't think Edward would either - he would blame it all on me, just like I would.

I couldn't tell if I was crying or not; the rain that was dripping down my face hid my tears amongst them.

No. I refused to let that happen.

Strongly and painfully, I continued to walk through my horror movie. Lauren stood silently by my side, pushing the both of us through this. I would grip tighter onto her as each contraction worsened, and she would force me to take another painful step.

Suddenly, Lauren stopped. I felt her arm leave me waist, and she was pushing me forward with harsh hands. I was about to scream, until I realized that the rain had suddenly stopped and I was inside of our protection… the car.

She slammed the door and ran over to the other side, pulling herself in. She fumbled with her keys before she shoved them into the ignition and turned them. The car quickly roared to life and she flung it into reverse.

I could hear the mud splashing against her window as she tried to back up. Her tires had sunk into the mud making it impossible to back up.

Lauren cursed and put the car drive.

"What are you doing?" I screeched. "You're going to hit a tree!"

"I know what I'm doing." She growled, gripping onto the steering wheel with her perfectly filed, pink nails.

She carefully inched the car by the forest, coming so close to the trees that I could reach out and touch it. My heart thudded in my chest as she continued to slowly drive. Then, she all of a sudden slammed her foot on the accelerator and we were off.

I sat back in my car and closed my eyes, gripping onto the arm seats for supports.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

A little while down the road, Lauren snatched up her phone and dialed in a number. She held it to her ear, still staring at the road with intent eyes. It was hard for me to see past the intense rain. The only source of light were the sudden flickers of lightning.

"My friend is in labor." Lauren said into the phone, sounding just as panicked and scared as I did. "We're on our way… very close… no… yes… alright." She shut her phone and dropped it in her seat. Her foot pushed down on the accelerator and drove even faster.

Another contraction hit me, and I let out a muffled scream, silenced by my lips.

"I'm driving as fast as I can, Bella." Lauren reassured me. "It's okay, it's okay."

"I… want… Edward…" I sobbed.

Edward would be devastated if he didn't get here in time for the baby, and I would too. He needed to be here. I wanted him here helping me through this. I wanted to see his face when our baby was first born; see the happiness in his eyes; his reaction to finally being a father.

She didn't answer me. She reached out and grabbed my hand from the arm rest and gave it a gentle squeeze. I tightened my grip on her hand, probably stopping the blood flow, but, for once, she didn't snarl at me like she normally would. She just drove and held my hand.

When we had finally reached the hospital, Lauren slammed her breaks in front of the emergency room entrance, where a few nurses with wheelchairs sat. She jumped out of the car and opened my door.

The nurses were immediately by my side. They helped me out of the car and into the wheelchair. The rain continued to pelt down on me, and they moved quickly to get me inside.

"Wait!" I cried, when I realized Lauren wasn't following. "Aren't you coming?"

She shook her head. "I'm going to the Cullen's to get Mrs. Cullen. You're going to need someone here with you."

"But you're here! Don't leave me here alone!" I said, tears streaming down my face.

Lauren smiled at me. "I'll be right back."

I didn't have time to object. She was already back in her car, driving away into the raining night. The nurses wheeled my wheelchair into the hospital, and I instantly shivered. The air conditioning seemed to be cranking and my dripping wet clothes weren't helping.

They brought me into a small room and handed me a pair of light blue hospital scrubs and left me alone to get changed. I walked into the small bathroom and dried myself off with one of the towels before I pulled the hideous, cloak over my head. Alice would surely disapprove.

I sat down in the bed and took slowly breaths, trying to ease the pain.

A different nurse walked in moment later and told me that we were required for Dr. Askew to be here before they began any procedures, which included any pain medication. I groaned as she spoke and turned on my side, shoving a pillow into my face.

I don't know how much time had gone by. All I knew was that the storm wasn't dying down, I was here all alone, the contractions were just as painful as they were to begin, and I still wanted Edward here. Multiple times I had tried to call him, but there was no cell phone service. The hospital did have phones, but not in the rooms.

At one point, when I was trying different positions to die down the pain, there was a small knock on the door.

"Come in." I said.

Esme stood in the doorway. She dropped her bags to the ground and walked straight over to me. She hovered over me, pulling me into her arms tightly, and kissing my forehead. I couldn't help but cry as she held me in her arms, rocking me back and forth slowly.

"Oh, Bella!" She said, sitting by the edge of my bed and putting her hand on my leg. "I'm so sorry I wasn't here earlier!"

"It's okay. Lauren could only get there so fast… where is she by the way? Did she go home?"

"Lauren?" She raised one eyebrow.

"She said she was coming to get you…" I told her. "Did she not?

Esme shook her head. "Carlisle called me from the hospital. We actually haven't lost power yet… why were you with Lauren? Alice said you were with Angela."

Sheepishly, I explained everything that had happened. The principal threatening the both of us with our titles, being stuck with Lauren, how she helped me get back to the car… I couldn't help but wonder where she was. If she didn't go to the Cullen's, then where did she go?

"I'm going to file a complaint against that man! Leaving two young girls alone in the woods… how irresponsible!"

"I'm so sorry… I shouldn't have lied to you…"" I cried, bursting into tears.

She looked at me sympathetically and pulled me back into her arms. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at the principal. It's not your fault. He's the one who pressured the two of you into this!"

"I'm… so… selfish!"

"Isabella Swan, don't you ever say that." Esme said very seriously. "You are not selfish. You are bringing a child into the world despite the fact that everyone else disapproves. That is not selfish. That's love, darling. You are so strong, and I am so proud of you."

I hiccupped. "Really?"

She nodded her head and smiled at me. "Yes."

We sat in silence for a moment, listening to the rain pelting against the window. The contractions were beginning to lighten up, which was something I didn't think was supposed to happen. Not that I was complaining; the pain was gone.

"I want Edward."

"As soon as Carlisle called, I managed to get a hold of him. He's on his way right now." She reassured me. "Let's just hope this baby holds out until he gets here!"

With Esme here, Edward on his way, and the pain slowly easing up, I was beginning to feel safe and reassured. But, for some reason, I didn't. Maybe once Edward was here I would feel better.

Moments later, there was another knock on the door.

"It's Dr. Askew. Can I come in, Bella?"

"Yes." I said, slightly disappointed that it wasn't Edward.

She walked in looking just like she normally did; doctor's coat, dark hair, perfect makeup. She smiled at me and grabbed the spinning chair by the computer desk, bringing to my bedside. She took a seat.

"How do you feel?"

"A lot better, actually." I admitted. "Are contractions supposed to go away entirely? I haven't had one for a while now."

"Ah." She said loudly. "Braxton Hicks."

"Excuse me?"

"You were experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions; false labor. Which means that the baby _isn't _on the way." She explained. "Sometimes a pregnant woman experiences them. It's fairly common."

So, all of that chaos for nothing! My silly baby was just messing with me. She wasn't really on the way. I felt relived. As much as I wanted her here, right now was not the right time.

Dr. Askew stood up and wheeled the familiar ultrasound machine my way.

"If I'm not in labor, then why are you doing an ultrasound?"

"Just to see how the baby is doing." She said. "If something is wrong, we can do an emergency cesarean section."

Now I _really _wished Edward was here. What if something was wrong? What if I did have the baby tonight? I nodded slowly and looked over at Esme worriedly. She put her hand on my shoulder and rubbed it.

Dr. Askew lifted up the hospital gown and covered the lower half of my body with the thin, white sheet on the bed. She then squirted the cold, blue gel onto my stomach and rubbed the handheld tool, which I learned was called a Fetal Doppler, on my skin.

She stared at the small, black and white screen.

I looked for any signs of something that might be wrong, but I couldn't find anything. To me, it just looked like my precious baby.

"Is everything okay?" I found myself asking.

"Yes! More than okay." Dr. Askew smiled. "The baby flipped."

A rush of relief instantly shot through me. My hand went to my heart, and I squeezed my eyes shut, salty tears escaping through my closed eyelids. Esme, who still stood loyally by my side, grabbed my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

My baby was okay. She was more than okay. She had flipped.

So, those crazy exercises Edward and I had made sure to do every day had worked. Here I sat, months after the first round of the insanity, and our darling baby girl had turned around. Laura wasn't crazy. And thankfully neither were we for going through with them.

"I'll leave you two alone." Dr. Askew said, excusing herself from the room. She pushed all of the equipment back to where it belonged and walked out, looking down at a clipboard in her hands.

Esme smiled at me. Though through her smile, I could see her tired eyes. She had been up for God knows how long just for me. I instantly felt horrible for waking her up and making her rush over to the hospital just for my sake.

I pulled my hand away from hers and sat up in bed.

I felt tiny little flutters inside of my stomach; my baby kicking. I cradled my stomach and rubbed it slowly, continuing to feel her tiny little feet against my skin. I couldn't help but smile. Of course she would be trying to get my attention; she had already tricked me into thinking I was going into labor. Maybe she would be just as silly as Emmett.

Or maybe a shopohalic like Alice; caring like Esme. A hard worker like Carlisle, or as loving as Edward. Maybe, possibly, she'd be like me: the overachiever who loves to read and knows exactly what she wants.

Whoever she turns out to be, I know that she'll be wonderful. I know that she'll be strong, independent, and beautiful. She'll be my little girl and no one can ever take that away from me.

"Esme… you can go home if you want to." I told her. "I'll be fine by myself…"

"No." She shook her head. "I'm not leaving you here alone! I'm going to stay right by your side until Edward shows up."

"Thank you." I whispered softly.

She sat up straight on the end of bed and smiled. "So, what baby names were you and Edward thinking? Knowing the two of you, I'm sure it's something creative."

I laughed. "We've been talking about it for a while now, and we both really love the name Aveline - either for a first or a middle - as well as Isla and Iris."

Esme rubbed her chin for a moment, thinking over our choice in baby names. "Iris Aveline… Isla Aveline…" She murmured.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I just want something that's perfect."

"The names are all beautiful, that's for sure." She admitted. "They're very unique and feminine."

That was the kind of name I had wanted for her. Something that nobody else in the world would have, but nothing that was too weird. Soft and old fashioned; simply beautiful. The kind of name that heroines in romance novels would have. Or the European girl on the cover of Vogue.

It was just a matter of which name to choose!

I felt emotionally attached to the name Isla, why I'm not too sure. I was also drawn to Aveline for it's unique nature, but Iris had a story and meaning to it.

"I really like Aveline." Esme told me.

I nodded. "Me too. That was Edward's pick."

"Well, you two better pick something soon! That little girl will be here in a matter of days." She winked.

Just then, my phone vibrated on the bedside table. I jumped, not expecting it (mainly because I thought that the cell phone service was still out). I looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Edward who was calling. I showed Esme the phone and nodded, then walked out of the room to give me some privacy.

He was going to be beyond pissed at me.

"… hello?" I asked, stretching out my words.

"Bella!" Edward called out. "Are you alright? Please don't tell me that I missed anything important… I knew I shouldn't have gone to California. I'm so stupid! Oh God."

"Edward, calm down." I told him. "You're not stupid. I'm the stupid one. I'm the one who went to that damn thing with Lauren. I'm just lucky that nothing happened…"

"Nothing happened?" He barked back. "Bella, you're in labor!"

I let him rant for a minute, holding the phone away from my ear. He went back and forth, practically talking to himself. His voice soon faded, and I could hear was his distressed breathing on the line. Only then did I explain what had happened; how Lauren had helped me, but in the end, it was only Braxton Hicks.

"She helped you?" He asked, confused.

"I know… weird, right?"

"Very." He agreed. "Where is she now? We should thank her."

"I'm really not sure. She said that she went to go and get Esme, but when Esme got here she said Lauren hadn't come to the house. It was Carlisle who called her and told her to come down here… so, I'm really not sure…"

"She probably went home. It's been a long night for the both of you."

"It really has." I sighed. "When will you be here? I miss you."

"I'm about half an hour away from the hospital. I'm driving as fast as I can, love, but the rain is terrible and the roads are very slippery. You don't want me driving into a0 tree, do you?"

I laughed uneasily.

"Well, I don't want to talk on the phone in this weather. I'll see you soon. I love you."

"Love you too."

As promised, Edward burst through the doors thirty minutes later. He pulled me into his arms and held me, kissing my forehead, and whispering into my ear. I held onto him, my fingers digging into his back.

Edward here, and that was exactly what I wanted the entire time. Our baby was alright, and I was going to get to go home in the morning. Everything was back to normal, and I should have felt happy… but I wasn't. I couldn't help but feel like something terrible had happened.

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><p><strong>Did you think Bella was seriously going to have the baby? I'm such a tease sometimes… ;)<strong>

**I hope that you liked it! This chapter took a while to write; it was really long. So, it'd be amazing if you could review (and don't forget to give me your suggestions for baby names!). **


	26. Never Felt This Way Before

**Hey guys! It's been about a week since I've updated and I'm so, so very sorry. I was at a soccer camp for a few days, then when I came back I was exhausted, then I had a cross country party, and I was very distracted when I tried to write this… and on top of that, I had to pick a name for this dang baby! Well, this will be a very long chapter. It is thirteen pages. Thirteen is my lucky number. Enjoy.**

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><p><em>BPOV<em>

The days have been going by very slowly. The time has been frozen at an impossibly early time. I feel anxious and worried; almost trapped in the very essence of time itself.

I'm overdue. It's been five days since my due date, and I'm beginning to panic a bit. We called the doctor and asked her what we should do, and she said that if she isn't here in the next week or so, she'll have to induce labor or perform a cesarean section.

Needless to say, Alice felt the need to jump on in and help get this baby out. I was praying to god that her plan would work. The chaos had clearly worked last time, and I was hoping that the magical madness would rub off and help me this time as well.

Every day when she would come home from school, we would try out new techniques that she had found out during the school day from her frequent library trips and secretive Google searches on her iPhone.

Edward had banned me from going to school, not that I blamed him. Though he would never admit it, I still think that he's traumatized from my runaway trip to the middle of the woods. The fact that I went into false labor and made him miss his cross-country meet must have struck a nerve.

"… local teen Lauren Mallory has been reported missing. After disappearing on a recent camping trip with her friend, she has yet to return. Authorities have been searching for any evidence as to her whereabouts, but - "

I shut the television off and shuttered.

Lauren was still missing. I was praying that they would find her. I know that the two of us have had our rough times, but I would never ever wish something like this upon her. Everyday, I make Alice tell me if she had showed up at school, or if she had heard anything… but, so far, there has been absolutely nothing.

Out of nowhere, the door flung open, followed by an ear piercing scream. I jumped on the bed, nearly falling off - catching myself with the tip of the blanket. The door hit the wall and I looked up, narrowing my eyes at the tiny girl in the doorway.

"God dammit, Alice!" I screeched. "What the hell was that for?"

"I was trying to scare you into labor." She said. Our eyes met for a brief moment, neither of us speaking. She sighed aloud and walked in, holding a box of food. The smell immediately hit me and I was suddenly starving. "Guess it didn't work… but I did bring you more spicy food!"

I sighed. Alice had been persistent on making me eat only spicy food, since it apparently helped induce labor. Every day, she made something that was so hot it made my mouth and eyes water. So far, it had done nothing but burned my mouth.

I took the box from her and was overwhelmed by the rush of steam. I coughed, inhaling the smell that cleared and burned my sinuses.

"What is this?"

"It's a mix of a lot of different things." Alice explained. "Some wasabi, jalapenos, peppers, curry… you get the picture. Here's some milk in case you need it." She put a tall glass of milk on the bedside table.

"Great." I mumbled, looking down at the food. My stomach began to churn at the thought of putting something this hot into my mouth again. I pushed it away, not feeling hungry anymore, and buried my face into the pillow. Nausea was beginning to take over me once again.

"I'm sorry, Bella." Alice said, sincerely. "I'll leave you be, okay?"

She patted my shoulder, smiled, then walked out of the room without another word. Once she was gone and her footsteps were echoing down the staircase, I jumped out of bed and ran as fast as I could to the bathroom. Falling on my knees, I lifted the toilet seat, and vomited.

My throat burned deeply, and there was still an present, uncomfortable feeling in my stomach. I felt so sick. All I wanted to do was sleep.

I flushed the toilet and leaned my head against the cold, porcelain; something I often did after I experienced my all too familiar morning sickness. I put my head in between my knees in hopes that the nausea would pass. As I sat, I looked at my hands, and twiddled with the shiny, ring on my finger that Edward had given me just the other night…

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><p>I sat on our bed, waiting for Edward to burst through the doors. We had just gotten home from the hospital, after it being announced that the baby wasn't on the way. He was downstairs explaining to his family what had happened.<p>

_I knew that he was angry with me. I had lied to him. I had put our baby in danger._

_He had every right in the world to be mad at me, and even hate me. It wouldn't surprise me if he never wanted to speak to me again. I mentally braced myself for what was to come._

_I heard him before I saw him._

_I heard his footsteps approaching the door; his hand on the doorknob; the squeaking of the door as he slowly pushed it open._

"_Bella." Edward said._

"_Yes?" I whispered, looking down, feeling too ashamed to look him in the eyes._

_He walked over at took a seat next to me on the bed. "Oh, Isabella… what am I going to do with you?" _

_I gulped. It was never good when he used my full name._

"_Do you know how scared I was? You told me that you wouldn't go. You promised me. Bella, I told you not to go for a reason!" He exclaimed, his voice getting louder and louder by the second. "It's not worth it! It's not worth loosing the baby, or loosing you. Lauren is missing. What if it had been you who was missing? What would have happened then? Bella, you can't do that to me. Please, not ever again. You scared me so badly."_

_Tears rolled down my cheeks. I clutched my hands into fists and breathed heavily, trying to control myself. "You… hate me." I cried. "You're going… to leave… me…."_

_Edward froze for a moment, his body going completely stiff by my side. He then reached over and grabbed my face in his hands, forcing me to look at him. I saw the pain in his glistening green eyes and clutched my hands until my nails were digging into my skin._

"_Don't say that." He told me, seriously. "Bella, I love you more than anything. I could never hate you. Ever. I could never leave you either. You're my everything." _

"_You mean that?" I asked beneath my tears._

_Edward chuckled softly and almost nervously before he pulled away from me. He then stood up and walked over to his dresser, pulling open the middle drawer. I watched in curiosity as he pulled something from the back of it and walked over to me, hiding it in his hands. He placed it behind him and held both of my hands, looking me in the eyes._

"_I bought this a while ago, but I never knew what the right time to give it to you would be. All I knew was that someday soon I would give it to you. Someday, I would tell you this." He cleared his throat and grabbed the tiny little box. He handed it to me and spoke as I opened it._

"_Bella, I promise that I will love you forever. I promise that I'm never going to leave your side. And someday, when the time is right, I will promise you our life together as husband and wife." He took a deep breath. "I don't know when that will be, but I want you to know that when the time is right, it will happen."_

_I pulled out a small, silver ring from the box and literally gasped aloud. Holding it up, it seemed the sparkle in the reflection of the light. My breathing slowed and my mind was immediately flooded of images of Edward and I married._

_Edward and I… married._

_Someday. Not today and not tomorrow, but someday soon._

_He wiped the tears from my face and kissed me on the cheek. He then took the ring from my shaking hands and grabbed my left hand, where he slowly slid the ring onto my finger. He kissed it softly and held my hand up so we both could admire how nicely it fit._

_We would be together forever. He was never going to leave my side. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. He wanted me and no one else._

_That was his promise to me._

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><p>I smiled.<p>

Thinking of the happy moments we spent together instantly made me feel better. I stood up, cleaned up the bathroom, and myself for that matter, and slowly walked back into Edward's room. I took a small bite of a pepper then threw the box away. Just thinking about the food revolted me.

Sleep was something that still sounded amazing. Though it was only four in the afternoon and Edward would be here any moment now, I felt exhausted. I opened his closet door and looked for something to wear. The hoodie I loved so much was in the wash, so I couldn't wear it. I settled for one of his old, long sleeved cross country t-shirts instead.

I unbuttoned my pants and dropped them to the floor, kicking them off of swollen feet. I then took my hair down, letting it fall over my shoulders, and then slowly pulled my shirt over my head.

I shook out my hair and looked down at my stomach.

It seemed to be getting bigger and bigger everyday. The kicking was getting more frequent, and lately, I had felt her digging her foot into my lower back, which hurt like hell. I rested my hand on my belly and rubbed it softly,

She'd be here any day now.

"Bella, I'm home!" I heard Edward call out, following by the door shooting open. I jumped, crossing my hands over my body. His eyes widened and he took a step back. "Uh, sorry…." He mumbled awkwardly.

"Oh my god, you scared the - "

Just then, the baby kicked my lower back. My hand went to my back and I closed my eyes, gasping quietly. The child would be the death of me, I swear.

"Bella, are you okay?"

"Mhm…" I lied, trying to ignore the pain. I leaned down and picked up the navy blue shirt on the floor. After pulling it over my head, I pulled the door open for Edward to come in. I then walked over to the bed and took a seat, my hand still clutched to my back.

"What happened?"

"Nothing. The baby just kicked my lower back again." I frowned. "It kind of hurts when she does that."

"How long has this been going on for?"

I shrugged. "A few days or so. Why?"

He didn't answer. He pulled out his phone and started dialing a number into the keypad. I stared at him in curiosity, not quite understanding. Edward ignore me, and put the phone to his ear. He stood up from the bed and slowly started pacing the room. I opened my mouth to say something, but he held up his finger in silence.

"Hello, this is Edward Cullen… yes… Dr. Askew." Edward paused for a moment. "It's nice to speak to you too… not for too long… yes… no…" He handed the phone to me and mouthed that it was my doctor on the phone.

I cleared my throat. "Um, hello?"

"Hello, Bella!" She called out, sounding like her usual chipper self. "How are you doing?"

"I'm confused. What's going on?"

"Edward told me that you were experiencing some lower back pain from the baby." She told me. "How long has that been going on for? Anything else I should know about?"

I sighed heavily and counted back in my head. The kicking in my lower back had started not too long ago; I was getting ready to go for a walk outside, another one of Alice's ideas, when it hit. Since then, the pain has been getting more and more noticeable. Besides that, I had been experiencing more and more morning sickness, nausea, and fatigue. I summed it all up to the annoying symptoms of being pregnant.

"Is that all?"

I nodded my head. "Yup. That's it."

"Alright, Bella…" Dr. Askew paused for a moment. "It appears that you are in early signs of labor. The real thing this time, not Braxton Hicks."

I froze. My eyes widened it shock and my grip on the phone loosened, feeling as though it would slip right through my fingers.

"Do we need to go to the hospital?" I whispered.

"No, no. I want you to stay at home and relax. Once the contractions really start hitting, I want you guys to call me up so I can give you the 'okay' to come down to the hospital. There's nothing we can do right now. You'd just be sitting around in a hospital bed if you came down now… you might as well stay at home."

"Okay." I said. It was all I could manage to spit out of my mouth.

"I'll see you soon, Bella."

We both hung up. I walked over to the bed and ran my hands through my hair.

Edward excused himself from the room, leaving me lost in my own thoughts.

Suddenly, I felt nervous and unprepared. She was really on the way now. This wasn't a practice test; it wasn't something that I would get to do-over or try again. My baby was on the way, and I had no idea how to mentally prepare myself for her being here. What if we weren't ready for this? What if I wasn't ready for this?

We had everything that we needed. We had bottles, formula, toys, and plenty of clothes. We had a house for her to live in and two parents who already love her dearly.

But the reassurance of having everything that we needed didn't make me feel any better. I still felt panicky. I thought and worried about every single scenario possible. Something could go wrong in the delivery room. Something could happen to me… or the baby.

There was a small knock on the door and Esme walked in with Edward trailing shortly behind her. She smiled and handed me a tall glass of water. I smiled at her and gulped it down slowly, appreciating the icy taste as it dripped down my dry throat.

"I've done this three times now, so I'm going to do my best to help you." She said. I looked up at her and felt the need to hug her. She was so kind and motherly to me that it made me feel as if I was a child of her own. "What you need to do now is rest up. Get some sleep, or just relax your body. We're going to get you a lot of fluids as well. But for now, drink, then sleep."

She faced Edward, whispered something in his ear, then left the room.

I let out a long sigh and scooted back onto the bed, leaving room for Edward. He hesitated for a moment, then walked over and lied next to me in the bed. I turned so I was facing him, and looked into his eyes.

He looked scared - probably just as scared as I did. I put my hand on his cheek and kissed him softly, then rested my head against his chest. His heart was beating quickly; the sound jumped through his shirt as he held me in his arms. The soft warmth from his body, and the sweet smell soothed me.

I dreamt happy thoughts of our baby as I slowly drifted into sleep.

* * *

><p><em>EPOV<em>

The moment that Bella told me she has been feeling pain in her lower back, I knew what was about to come. I knew that she was in early labor. I knew that our child was on the way.

I should have felt excited and happy, but instead, I was feeling anxious.

I want this baby just as much as Bella does. I want to hold her in my arms and watch her grow. I want to support her and love her as much as a dad can. But deep down, as much as I try, I'll never be the perfect father to her. I don't have a job and I'm not married to her mother. We still live with my parents, and we can barely afford to keep a place of our own.

These are things that I don't tell Bella, because I know it will scare her.

I'm trying my best to provide for my family, and the thought that the time has come for the baby to arrive scares me. I'm worried that I won't be able to give them everything that I had hoped for. I'm afraid of loosing them… of loosing her.

That's why I gave Bella the promise ring. I wanted her to know that I would always be there for her, and with her accepting it, I knew that she would always be there for me too.

I stared blankly as my mom talked to Bella about things they would do during her early stages of labor, all of which I already knew. I had my fair share of medical knowledge. My dad was in the field, and I was highly considering going to medical school.

My mom turned from Bella and faced me. She leaned in to whisper in my ear.

"I know that you're nervous, but you have to be there for her. She's just as terrified as you are. Stay with her one hundred percent of the way. Be there for your family."

It took me a while to process that in my head.

Be there for your family… be there for your family…

Provide for your family.

That was just it. Me being there for my family was, in a way, providing for them as well.

I snapped my head up and looked at Bella, who had scooted to the complete opposite side of the bed, leaving an empty space for me. I took small steps, knowing that I was doing my job. But once I was next to her and holding her in my arms, I felt better.

She touched my face, and leaned in to kiss me. I held onto her tightly, so badly wanting to hold onto the moment right then and there, and go deeper into it, but I knew now was not the right time for that.

She rested her head against my chest and snuggled closer to me. I put my arms around her and held her there, never wanting her to move. Soon, her breathing slowed and deepened, and it was then that I knew she was asleep.

I peeked down at her and smiled.

She wore my cross country t-shirt from last year, which was huge on her and looked more like a nightgown with the way it fell down to her upper thighs. Her long, dark hair was carefully tucked behind her neck, and her eyelids fluttered in her sleep.

I kissed the top of her head.

She was dreaming peacefully. Sleeping beautifully.

* * *

><p><em>BPOV<em>

I sat up in bed and immediately hunched down. The pain was more apparent now. It had moved from my back to my stomach, and was cramping tightly. I clamped my teeth together and shut my eyes, not expecting the sudden rush of pain.

"How are you feeling?" Edward asked, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

With my eyes still closed, I searched for his hand. He chuckled and grabbed it, rubbing his hands against my sweaty skin.

"Do you have to ask?" I croaked.

"I'm sorry, baby." He said apologetically. "Is there anything I can get you?"

A bath sounded amazing right now. Laying in the hot, bubbly water would give me a final chance to clear my head before the baby came. And maybe it would even help ease up the pain. That, and a nice cup of hot tea, would be fantastic.

"Tea… and a bath."

"Is that all?" He asked, looking at me with sparkling green eyes. When I nodded, he kissed me on the cheek and jumped up from the bed, heading for the stairs. I tossed and turned trying to find a comfortable position, but everyway I turned seemed to deepen thepain.

The contractions would start strong, then they would slowly fade to nothing. It was at those small moments of normality when I would move to a different position. I'd tried everything from the pillow between my legs and laying on my back, to curled up in a ball. By the time Edward came back carrying a steaming cup of tea, and something draped over his arm, I was laying with my head dangling from the bed.

I slowly pulled myself up - dizzy from the blood that had rushed to my head. Edward handed me the cup of tea, and I wrapped my hands around the burning cup, not even caring at the unbearable heat to my skin. He then handed me what he had draped over his arm, and I recognized it as a robe.

"It's Esme's." He said from behind me. "I'll let you get changed."

"Not like you haven't seen me naked before." I mumbled as I yanked the shirt over my head and threw it across the room. I unhooked my bra and let it fall to the ground, and the same with my underwear. I shrugged the fluffy, blue robe over my bare shoulders and wrapped it around myself tightly.

"Well… I'll just go ahead and run the bath for you then. I'll be right back." He kissed my neck, his fingers lightly touching my skin. He wasn't gone for long. I heard the water run from the enormous bedroom, and he was soon back by my side. He took my hands and helped me to my feet.

"We're just going to walk around the house while the water runs. Esme said that it helps." Edward told me as we slowly walked down the long hallway.

I nodded, trying not to stiffen at the contraction. Edward seemed to notice my deadening grip on his hand and looked over at me with a smile. I stared back at him blankly, not being able to speak, let alone show emotion through this horrible feeling in my stomach.

We paced through the house for what seemed like ages. Down the stairs, up the stairs, and in every room, then back up the stairs and into the bathroom. As we continued to walk, they contractions continued to rage on. I was holding back tears by the time we made it to the bathroom.

Edward turned off the water and ran back into the bedroom to get me my tea. I drank it slowly, but drank all of it in one chug. Edward then took the empty cup from me and placed it on the countertop. The clinking sound echoed through the bathroom, irritating my headache. I dropped my robe to my shoulders and held it there, staring down into the rippling water and foaming bubbles.

He came up behind me and put his hands on my shoulders. I gasped, not expecting him to come up behind me like that. I could feel him smiling at me as he tightly gripped my shoulders and rubbed them; his thumbs deeply massaging my tense body.

"Relax." He whispered in my ear.

"But it hurts." I whimpered.

"I know." He sympathized with me. "After you take a bath you'll feel better. And before you know it, we'll be at the hospital."

I closed my eyes again, and nodded.

Edward lightly grabbed the robe and gently dropped it to the floor. Without another word, he held onto my hand and helped me into the bathtub, and I immediately sunk into the bubbles. I went underwater for a moment and came back up with my heavy hair wet and sticking to my skin.

Peeking over the mountain of bubbles was my stomach. Sitting by the side of the bathtub, with his arms crossed and resting on the edge, was Edward.

I leaned my head against the bathtub and tried to focus on something other than the pain. The only other thing that I could possibly think of right now was my baby girl. I imagined a girl with big, green, eyes that sparkled when the sunlight hit them right. I saw someone with soft, porcelain like skin, and long, curly bronze hair. I saw her growing up, and looking mature and sophisticated. A young woman with an old soul and a big heart.

"Aveline." I whispered, putting my hand on my stomach.

"What was that, love?"

"Aveline." I said more profoundly, looking over at him. "I want to name her Aveline."

Edward smiled at me. "Aveline Cullen."

I couldn't help but wipe the tears that fell from my eyes. The name was so beautiful and perfect. Picturing what she would be like helped me figure it out. It kind of just came to me. When I imagined that little girl, I immediately thought Aveline.

"I'm ready to get out of the bath now."

Edward helped me out of the bath, and put a towel around my shaking shoulders. While I dried myself off, he cleaned up the bathroom, then even went to the extent of helping me change into a comfortable pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. Edward was such a sweetheart. Sometimes I felt like he was too good to be mine.

For the next few hours, I was in pain, and Edward did his best to distract me.

We finished packing our overnight bag for the hospital, and even let Alice pick our outfits in which we would come home wearing. We walked around the house, he made me tea, and I attempted to sleep. Honestly, the pain was too much for me to fall asleep with.

People would come and go asking me how I was.

Rosalie sat and talked with me for a little while, with Alice loyally by her side. Emmett came in to make me laugh, and Jasper, as usual, never failed to calm me down. Edward, though, was the only one who truly made me feel better.

At some point in the early hours of the morning, Edward and I were sprawled out on the couch. I was laying in fetal position with a blanket over me. Chills were continually shooting up my spine, and the nauseous feeling was slowly coming back with vengeance.

This was hell. I just want to die.

"Edward." Esme said to her son from the kitchen. "I think you need to call the doctor now. That poor girl looks horrible."

"Yeah." He answered shakily and grabbed the home phone. He dialed into the phone - each button beeping softly - and put it to his ear. He paced back and forth in the kitchen nervously.

"Yes, this is Edward… about a minute apart… yes… chills, nausea… no." He muttered into the phone as he continually walked around. Esme walked over to me and put her hand on my back, rubbing it softly.

I whimpered loudly, gripping onto the couch with my fingernails.

"Shh… it's alright, Bella."

I breathed deeply, bracing myself for the next strong, contraction. They were getting worse and worse every time, to the point where I wanted to scream at the damn world for putting me through this.

Breathe in… breathe out… breathe in… breathe out….

Breathing was more like panting at this point.

Edward walked into the room with the phone still in his hand. He looked from Esme to myself, then back to his mother. "She said we can go on in."

"Now?" I asked so softly that I could barely hear myself.

He asked her if she could go upstairs get our hospital bag while he helped me into the car. She went upstairs without a single hesitation in her step, and Edward made his way towards me.

"Bella, you need to get up, sweetheart. We need to go to the hospital."

"I can't move." I cried, tears streaming down my face.

Edward gently put his hands underneath my arms and pulled me slowly until I was sitting up. I hunched over and began shaking as a rush of pain came to me. Then, ever so carefully, he grabbed both of my hands and helped me to my feet. I stumbled, barely able to stay up on my feet.

I cried and whimpered loudly as the two of us made it towards his car. Almost all of my weight was on him, but I didn't care. I didn't want to be on my feet. I didn't want to walk. I wanted the pain to stop.

The second we got to his Volvo, Edward opened the car door and helped me inside. He bolted back in and came back out with our hospital bag. Esme stood in the doorway, waving as he jumped back in and shoved the keys in the ignition.

Despite the way I was feeling, I managed to look over at him and smile weakly.

"Let's go have a baby."

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, so, originally I was going to finish this out and have her have the baby in this very chapter… but I was afraid to write it! Because once I write that, the story is practically over, and that makes me SO sad. But, for now… review! If I get enough feedback, I'll consider writing this chapter from Edward's perspective later tonight or tomorrow. ;)<strong>

**Please review! Sorry for the cliffy. AND PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME WITH A MIDDLE NAME. I've been going insane trying to find a middle name for Aveline… I don't want something too common. I want something unique. (:**

**I love you all!**

**Xoxo,**

**Twilight37**


	27. You're Here

**Hey guys. So, I got a lot of feedback last chapter, and that was amazing! Thanks guys. You're too sweet. I decided to go ahead and continue on with the story and not post Edward's point of view. I'll probably** **put it in the outtakes, or as the next chapter (because it covers a TON of stuff). I'm for sure going to post it to my writing blog, though. Just a heads up - this chapter, another one, then epilogue. :'( Anyway… here it is! **

* * *

><p><em>BPOV<em>

Edward's held a death grip on the steering wheel. His green eyes were wide open, and staring straight ahead at the dark, empty road before us. I tried my best to control my breathing, and ignoring the tightening contractions, but it wasn't working out too well. They got worse every time they hit me, and they were beginning to have almost no pause in between.

"Are we almost there?" I asked. I was desperate to get to the hospital at this point. Edward didn't even look away from the road. He nodded his head slowly. I leaned back in my chair and looked out the window, and realized that we were headed in the complete opposite direction of the hospital.

"Edward, where the hell are you going?" I asked him.

"To the hospital…" He answered, as though it were obvious.

"This is not the way to the hospital!" I nearly screamed at him. "This road takes you all the way to Port Angeles! Edward, what are you doing?"

"It's a shortcut, I promise!" He defended, finally looking over at me. I wasn't too sure of his decisions, but wasn't going to argue with him. He knew where he was going… or so I thought. Forty minutes later than we had originally planned on arriving, we pulled into the parking lot of the hospital. Edward had for sure taken a long way for a shortcut.

We were supposed to park in the maternity section of the hospital, but by this point, I knew that the baby was going to be here any second now. And by the way I was screaming at Edward, he knew too. Long story short, we parked at the emergency room.

"I'm going to get a nurse so we can get a wheel- "

"I do not need a goddamn wheelchair!"

"Are you sure, baby? Because - "

"EDWARD. MY LEGS ARE FUNCTIONING PERFECTLY FINE. I. CAN. WALK."

Edward let out a long, exasperated sigh, which made me think that he was frustrated with me. He shook his head, and got out of the car, then walked over to my side, and opened the door for me. He grabbed my hands and slowly helped me up. The minute I was on my feet, I felt a heavy pressure between my legs.

I gasped, not expecting the pain.

"You alright?"

"Mhm…" I mumbled loudly, keeping my lips shut to suppress a scream.

Edward put his arm around me and slowly walked with me into the emergency room. Every step felt like a living hell. I could feel the baby's head. I knew that it was only a matter of time now.

The moment we stepped foot into the empty emergency room, a nurse ran forward and asked what the problem was. When Edward told her, she rushed him to the desk and told him to start filling out some paperwork. Another nurse came towards me, and, despite my protests, forced me to sit in the wheelchair.

I breathed deeply, trying to ignore the fact that the baby's head was causing more and more pressure by the minute.

"Is this your first baby?" The nurse asked while we waited.

"Yes." I breathed.

"Congratulations!" She smiled. "Is it a girl or a boy?"

"Girl." I spat out, patting my stomach for possibly the last time. "We're naming her Aveline."

"What a beautiful name." The nurse told me, holding onto the handle bars of the wheelchair. Suddenly, there was a beeping noise and the nurse stopped. She looked around the room and motioned for a doctor with red hair to come towards her.

"Jonah, right?"

The boy nodded. He looked fairly young to be working in a hospital. Freckled danced along his face, popping out against his fair complexion. He was tall and lanky, but not so much awkward. He looked at the nurse with faded blue eyes and nodded.

"Could you please escort this young lady to the maternity floor? This baby is about to pop out any second now."

"Uh, sure, but I - "

"Thank you so much! I just got an emergency on my pager."

"But - "

The nurse darted down the hall before Jonah could say another word. Edward came back over just as she left, looking just as out of breath as I did. He looked at me and smiled. I ignored him, and squeezed my eyes shut and gripping onto the plastic seat of the wheelchair.

Deep breaths, Bella. Deep breaths.

The three of us stood there for what seemed like a lifetime. We weren't going anywhere. We were just sitting there staring at the air while I was about to have my baby in the waiting room of an emergency room.

"Can we go to a hospital room, please?" I asked between my teeth.

"Oh, yeah, uh, maternity… I can do that…"

"Then do it!" I cried.

Suddenly, we were zooming down the hallways of the hospital, turning every which way. We hit dead ends, turned around multiple times, went to three different floors, and almost ran into another nurse who were pushing an old man in wheelchair. Meanwhile, I was in labor, and we were obviously lost in the hospital.

I had a feeling this guy had no idea where we were going.

"Are… we… almost… there?"

"Of course, ma'am… just five more minutes…"

"You said that ten minutes ago!"

We finally made it to the hospital room, no thanks to Edward. Whether it be because his father works here, or he just knows the layout of the hospital, he was the one who helped us get to the labor and delivery room, where Dr. Askew was anxiously awaiting us.

The moment we got in, Dr. Askew knew just by the look on my face that it was time. She didn't bother to hesitate and immediately handed me the hideous hospital gown, which Edward helped me into. I moved so slowly that it hardly felt like I was moving at all. It took fifteen minutes for me to change.

But once I was dressed, Edward led me back to the hospital room and onto the bed. It was lumpy and uncomfortable, but I honestly didn't care at this point. Laying down felt a thousand times better than being up on my feet.

Dr. Askew was standing on the opposite side of the room, snapping a pair of blue gloves onto her hands and picking up a few tools from the cart that had been rolled into the room while I changed in the bathroom.

Edward stood by my side and grabbed my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Alright, Bella." Dr. Askew said, walking towards us. "How are you feeling."

I glared at her, and in response, she laughed.

"I'm just going to check a few things so we can see how far along you are."

She did a few tests, most of which were a bit uncomfortable. I let her do what she needed to do, trying not to fidget or cry out in pain. It wasn't what she was doing that was painful, it was the contractions. I really just wanted them to go away. Hopefully I would be able to get some medicine that would die down the pain.

"You're about eight centimeters dilated." She announced.

"What does that mean?"

"In just a little bit, you'll be able to have the baby." Edward answered for her, a bright smile on his face. I held onto his hand tightly.

"Oh." I said softly. "Can I get some medicine?"

Once again, Edward answered before the doctor could and told me that there was no point in getting an epidural at this point. By the time the medicine would have kicked in, the baby would have been here. I really wanted to cry now.

For the next hour, we waited.

There was nothing to do but wait. I wasn't able to take any medication for the pain and it was too early in the morning for anyone to come and visit. There was nothing on the little television in the room, and I was in no mood to sleep.

So, Edward sat right by my side, holding my hand like the amazing boyfriend he was.

It was strange to think that this time tomorrow, I would be holding a baby in my arms. These were the last few moments that Edward and I would spend as just the two of us. From now on, we would have another person to take care of. Another mouth to feed. Another hand to hold.

It was an enormous amount of change. Things would never be the same again. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing, though. I was always welcome to change. I was ready for the baby to be here. I was ready to get on with our lives - the three of us. It was just kind of scary.

At around three thirty, there was a knock on the door. Edward and I both jumped, and watched as a group of three or four nurses, including Dr. Askew, walked into the room. Edward stood up from his spot on the bed and let go of my sweaty hand.

"Hi, Bella." Dr. Askew said,

This time, I managed to force a smile.

She told me that she was going to check to see how far along I was. I nodded, and awkwardly looked up at the ceiling while she awkwardly did what she had to do. Once she was done, she told me that I was fully dilated, and it was time to start pushing.

One of the nurses was setting up a few things on a table nearby. There were towels, blankets, and a lot of medical equipment that gave me the chills just by looking at them. I really hope that they don't use them on my little Aveline.

While the nurses continued to set up, a sudden urge to push came over me. I let out a shaky moan and gasped for air. It was a feeling that I had never felt before.

"Are you alright, love?" Edward asked.

I grabbed his hand and held it tightly, as though squeezing his hand would somehow release the tension I was feeling in my body. It didn't. The only thing I did was crack the bones in his fingers.

"Alright, Bella. This baby will be out in no time." Dr. Askew said, winking at me.

And so the most painful experience of my entire life began.

What I thought would have lasted no longer than twenty minutes ended up going on for more than an hour with what felt like no result. I had pushed and pushed - and screamed, not just out of pain, but at Edward, too. I would scream at him for no reason whatsoever, and then apologize in between contractions. I exerted myself to the point where I wanted to collapse. My body was tired. My muscles felt lifeless.

It had been going on for so long that, by this point, I was delusional. I was thoroughly convinced that I could just leave the hospital to sleep and come back tomorrow morning and have the baby. I even tried to argue with Edward about it at one point.

"She's a stubborn one, isn't she?" Dr. Askew teased.

"I wonder where she gets _that_ from…."

I rolled my eyes.

This continued for God knows how long. There was a period of time where nothing happened. They had decided to give me a short break from pushing, but it didn't feel long enough. I had only just closed my eyes when Edward was shaking me awake telling me that it was time to start again.

I gave all that I had.

I pushed until I was red in the face, screaming, and shaking from exerting so much energy. I dreaded every contraction. I wanted to give up. I wanted to cry. I wanted to sleep. I wanted this to be over.

"Is there anything we can give her?" Edward asked the doctor. "Misoprostal? Or Oxytocin? Just to speed up the process."

Now, after I've been sitting in sheering pain for hours because they told me it was too late for any pain medication, they decide to give me medicine? Of course they would.

One of the nurses rushed out of the room and came back with a needle. She squirted the extra fluid out the small tube walked towards me. I instantly stiffened and shied away from her, but Edward, who was one step ahead of me, grabbed my shoulder and held me there. Partly for my reassurance and partly to help the nurse.

I looked away from the needle and up at Edward as it pierced my skin. I could feel the thick, liquid shooting into my veins and running up my arm. He smiled and kissed my forehead lightly, then whispered that he loved me in my ear.

"I want to check the baby's heart," She began, "just to make sure that the medication didn't cause any damage."

"That medicine can cause damage?" I asked, worriedly.

"Any medication given to a mother in the - "

"Why did you give it to me?" I yelled, my emotions getting the best of me. Edward tried his best to calm me down, but my angry was flaring up. I was outraged that they had given that to me. I never would have agreed to taking it had I known.

"Bella, you need to calm down." Edward told me, softly. "You getting angry won't help the baby either… deep breaths, love."

I stared at him, then took a moment to calm down. Once I had taken a few deep breaths, like Edward had said, and rested my drooping eyelids, I felt relaxed. Still breathing heavily, I looked over at Dr. Askew and told her to continue with what she was doing.

She grabbed the little heart monitor and pressed it against my stomach. Instantly, the sound of my baby's heartbeat echoed through the room. It sounded just like it always did; fast, muffled, and like a train. She listened closely and stared at the monitor. I looked over Edward's shoulder to catch a glimpse of it and saw the little green lines shooting high.

"Is everything okay?"

Dr. Askew hung her stethoscope around her neck and turned in her swiveling chair. "The heart rate is a little high. We're going to need to get her out as soon as we can. If it spikes up too high, we may have to do a cesarean section. I just think that that baby wants out!"

Trust me… me and her both.

Now that my baby's heart rate was beginning to rise, I knew that I had to work as hard as I could to get her out. I refused to have be cut open to deliver her. I would fight for the both of us… we really needed it.

Within the next half hour, the urge to push suddenly came back. I looked over at Edward, who looked as if he was about to fall asleep at any given moment, and shook him.

"Wake up!" I called out at him.

He jumped up in his seat and looked around the room, as if taking in his surroundings. He shook his head and looked over at me. His green eyes looked tired and full of sleep. "What's wrong? What did I miss?"

"No… I feel like I need to start pushing again…"

"Okay, okay, I'll go get a nurse." Edward told me. He stood up, stretched his arms, and wandered out into the hallway. Not five minutes later, he was back with the same group of nurses trailing behind him.

They did they same thing as last time; set up the equipment, washed their hands, put gloves on… except this time, one of the nurses who was doing seemingly nothing last time stood by the foot of the bed holding a small towel.

Edward knelt by my side and held my hand. He kissed the top of it and leaned forward to whisper in my ear: "You can do this, baby."

I let out a deep breath.

I followed the dying urge from inside of me and pushed. I held onto Edward's hand so tightly that I was afraid it was going to fall off. I kept my eyes squeezed shut and groaned loudly. Suddenly, the pressure was beyond painful. It was merciless. My eyes shot open and I cried aloud, gasping for air.

Everyone yelled at me to keep going. They said I was doing fantastic. Then someone could see the head.

I mustered all the energy I had left and put it all into that one last push. I screamed, wanting to kill myself for going through this hell like pain and swearing that I would never go through it again. Edward encouraged me from my side, leaning into kiss me on the cheek and hold me in his arms as I pushed through.

Then, my screams were suddenly overtaken by a new cry.

My voice faded and before I even had time to process what was happening, Dr. Askew handed me the most beautiful thing in the world: my baby. She screamed and wriggled against me; probably afraid of the bright light, the cold room, the group of unfamiliar faces….

"Oh my god." I cried, looking down at her.

I didn't care that she was covered in blood. I didn't care that her ear piercing screams were more than likely raging throughout the entire hospital. I picked her up and held her, tears streaming down the both of our faces.

Edward leaned over my shoulder, staring down at the little baby I held in my arms.

She was perfect. She was beautiful. She was ours.

The nurse came over and put a towel on her. I stared in complete shock as she wiped the blood off of the screaming baby in my arms. The nurse then took gently pried her away from me and took her to the other side of the room to clean her off. I closed my eyes and rested for just the shortest of moments. Edward was called over to cut the umbilical cord - and I watched in fascination, smiling at the way his eyes lit up around his little girl. They put a small pink hat on her head and wrapped her in a matching pink blanket, then walked her back over to me.

I took her in my arms with welcome arms and held her tightly against my chest.

She was so tiny and precious. I had never held something so delicate in my arms. Now that she was cleaned and comfortable, she slept peacefully in my arms. I heard her whimper softly in her sleep, which only made me hold her closer to my heart.

"I couldn't help but notice the camera in your bag. Would you like a picture?" A nurse who I didn't recognize asked me. She had deep blue eyes and wore her long, light brown hair brown hair in a high ponytail. I smiled at her and nodded.

Edward put his arm around me and leaned in as closely as possible. I held Aveline in my arms and smiled as best as I could. Truth is, I was exhausted. And as much as I wanted to sleep, I knew that I couldn't. I wanted to spend time with my baby.

Once everyone was gone, Edward looked at me and smiled. "Six pounds and thirteen ounces of pure beauty… she looks just like you."

I shook my head. "You can hardly tell right now. She's not even an hour old."

"I know these things. She looks just like you." He chuckled. "You know what they say - like mother like daughter."

I looked down at her and studied her. Her skin was pale; that of a porcelain doll, while her lips were small, and bright pink. She had a head of dark hair on her tiny head. The one thing I was curious about was her eyes; were they brown or green? She was asleep right now, and I wasn't going to wake her to see.

"I just can't believe that she's here." I whispered, never taking my eyes from her.

"Neither can I."

I touched the tip of her nose and laughed breathlessly at the way she stirred in her sleep.

"You're here."

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><p><strong>Aveline is finally here! I seriously don't have a middle name yet. Someone suggested Jade, which I thought was cute. Other ones that I remember are: Irene, Ira, Iris, Isla, Iria, (lol, a lot of 'I's), Richelle, Rae… Iria is kind of cute. (:<strong>

**But, please review! I'm close to 400 reviews, and that is ridiculous! Thanks guys! **

**Oh, and if you were interested in reading EPOV, it will be on my blog, which you can find on my profile page or right here: .com.**


	28. We're A Family Now

**Hey. My dog got hit by a car last night and I'm having a really hard time dealing with it. I thought that completely immersing myself into writing might help… my poor baby. ):**

**I also start school next week, so, I thought it would be a good idea to update the last few chapters before I went back and didn't have time to write. On a second note, thank you for all of the many reviews. Here's the next chapter.**

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><p><em>BPOV<em>

It was seven in the morning and I had yet to get so much as a second of sleep in the past twelve hours. Though I had plenty of opportunities, and could even be sleeping right now, the excitement of my new baby was too much for me to so much as think about sleep.

Edward seemed to feel the same way, and refused to leave my side. Even when we were both dying from lack of caffeine, he wouldn't leave the room. Instead, he politely asked one of the nurses to get himself a cup of strong, black coffee, and a hot tea for myself. Ordinarily, they might have done so.

They also might not have allowed early visitation hours for families, but given that Edward was the son of the most successful doctor in the hospital, the entire Cullen family was welcomed into our room at the bright and early time of eight in the morning to meet the new member of the family.

I was expecting everyone to be overly excited about meeting her, but apparently I hadn't expected enough. I should have known, I really should have. By the point, there was no excuse for me not to know how they would react to the baby. But, still, I was overwhelmed by how much attention showered us with.

Alice walked into the room first holding a bundle of five or six hot pink balloons that read "it's a girl" and "I'm a new mommy". Rosalie walked in holding in a huge teddy bear, while Esme followed shortly behind with a bouquet of white, pink, and red roses in her hands. The boys followed came next - Jasper with a present bag in his hand, Emmett with a wrapped gift, and Carlisle with red envelopes tucked under his arm.

"Oh, you guys…"

"Surprise!" Alice whispered. She tiptoed forward and gave me a one armed hug, since I was still laying in bed. She looked down at Aveline and gasped quietly, her lips immediately turning up into a smile. "She's so precious."

I lifted Aveline up and handed her to Alice, who happily held her in her arms and walked towards the rest of the room to show them the baby.

Rosalie cooed at the baby and impatiently waited until it was her turn to hold her. Everyone crowded her in admiration, smiling at her, and flashing pictures. I was expecting her to belt out in loud wails, but, surprisingly enough, she didn't.

"Bella, she looks just like you." Rosalie told me.

"She really does!" Alice said in agreement.

Edward looked over at me and winked, then, in a soft whispered, said, "told you so."

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest, holding back a yawn. Sure, she may look like me - though I can't see it - , but she did have the beautiful green eyes that I had been hoping for. They were a mirror image of Edward's, and made me think of him every time I saw her.

Once it was Jasper's turn to hold the baby, he looked over at Edward and I. "What middle name have you guys decided on?"

I bit my lip and looked over at Edward. 'Well… you see - "

"You don't have a middle name?!" Alice gasped.

"Would you let me finish?" I glared at her, then paused for a short moment. "Edward and I really weren't sure about what middle name to choose. After a lot of thinking, we decided that we wanted the entire family to be apart of this… so, we're leaving the middle name up to you guys."

Everyone's eyes met one another's.

"Are you serious?"

"You've got to be kidding me."

I simply laughed, and told them that I wasn't kidding. This, of course, sparked a new conversation in the small hospital room, and soon nearly everyone was discussing what middle name the baby should have. In other words, it got very loud very fast. I looked over at Edward, signaling with my eyes that I didn't want to listen to the noise right now.

Edward stood up and walked over to his family, immediately quieting them. "Could you guys discuss this somewhere else? Bella needs some sleep."

"But, we'll be quiet!" Alice piped up.

Edward shook his head. "We all know that that is not going to happen." He laughed. "You guys can go home and come back later. I'm sure they'll let you guys in at any time."

She made a face and let her shoulders fall.

For once, everyone listened. They all said goodbye to the baby, and me, even though we would literally be just down the hall, and everyone cleared out. It was just the three of us now: Edward, Aveline, and myself.

Aveline. I still loved how that sounded. Just saying it felt lovely.

Edward walked over to me and sat on the edge of the hospital bed. He looked down at Aveline, who I still held in my arms, then up at me, as if asking for permission to hold her. I smiled and handed her over to him. The moment he held her, it was as if a new emotion came over him. He looked at her like she was his own little world.

He walked over to the window with her and bounced her slowly. Her little fingers reached out for him and touched his face. He chuckled and mimicked her, brushing one of his fingers across her baby soft skin. He said something to her, something that I couldn't hear, and walked around the room with his daughter in his arms.

Edward was going to be an amazing father. If it wasn't obvious now, then the answer was staring me clear in the face. I could just tell that he was going to be everything that she needed. A provider, a protector, a parent… with him by my side, I knew that we would be unstoppable.

"Did you remember to install the car seat?" I asked once he had paced up and down the hospital room about fifty times. The thought had just occurred to me. We had bought one, but I didn't remember if we had put it in the car. "They won't let us leave the hospital unless it's ready to go."

"Oh, right." Edward said. "I guess that I could just call Alice and ask her to bring it here…"

"No, no," I began, tiredly. "You can go home, rest up, and set it up. You're mom is probably dying to talk to you, anyway."

He yawned as he continued his long stride, Aveline still in his arms. I wasn't the only one who was exhausted; Edward had been awake just as long as I had. He had refused to leave my side to so much as go to the bathroom, let alone leave the room. That's why I was surprised when he didn't immediately down the idea.

"I don't know, Bella…"

"Edward, it's fine." I assured him. "You're tired, and you're not going to get any sleep here. You deserve it." I smiled. "So… go home, get some sleep, set up the car seat, then you can come back… and take your family with you. Everyone is probably dying to see the baby again."

We both laughed, and Edward, obviously not in the mood to argue with me, sighed in agreement. He handed me the baby, grabbed some of our stuff, kissed me on the forehead, and looked down at Aveline for a short moment before he leaned down and did the same to her. Just as he was about to walk out of the hospital room, I called out to him.

"Oh, wait!"

"What's wrong?" Edward asked, stopping dead in his tracks and looking back at me.

"Can you please bring me some food? This hospital food is disgusting." I pleaded with him, smiling sheepishly. Edward chuckled, despite the big bags under his green eyes, and nodded his head. Now relieved that decent food was on the way, I began to relax. I closed my eyes and sank down into the pillows.

The moment I closed my eyes, I drifted off into a light sleep. I was aware of everything in my sleep; the baby in my arms, the footsteps in the hospital hallway, the beeping of the hospital equipment…I didn't dream. It was as though my eyes were just closed, rather than being asleep.

As soon as I felt like I was beginning to finally fall into a deeper sleep, Aveline moved. A soft whimper escaped from her lips, and soon, she cried loudly, her screams echoing throughout the room.

It was the first time she had cried since she had been born just hours ago. So, needless to say, the sound of a baby's cry was unfamiliar to me. It pierced my ears as the loud wails continued.

I sat up and opened my eyes, covering my face with my hands. I held her tightly, bringing her closer to my chest, and tried to quiet her. I slowly bounced her up and down, like Edward had, and rocked her back and forth.

"Shh… shh… please stop crying…"

Her face turned bright red and her cries turned from cries to screams. I froze, not sure of what to do. She kicked and thrashed against me; her breathing increasingly deepened as she continued to scream. I unwrapped her from the blanket she was wrapped in and put her over my shoulder, rubbing her back slowly.

I don't know how long it went on for, but it seemed endless. Her screams progressively got louder - so loud that a nurse came in at one point to make sure that we were doing alright. I told her that we were fine, and she left the room, probably glad to do so. The screaming was awful that I literally thought that my hearing would be permanently damaged.

Eventually, after a very long time of soothing and rocking, she began to calm down. Her screams faded back to cries, then cries to whimpers, then nothing. She stared up at me with big green eyes that reminded me of Edward.

She looked at me smugly, and almost as though she was waiting for me to do something. I cocked my head to the side, trying to figure out what it was, until I finally gave up. She was quiet, and that good enough for me. I closed my eyes and held her close to me, still holding her so that her head was resting against my shoulder.

Finally, peace and quiet.

"Miss Swan?" A nurse - the one with the brown hair who had taken our picture earlier - tapped lightly on the door. She poked her head through the crack, and smiled lightly. "You have a visitor."

Now it was my turn to cry. Another visitor? All I wanted to do was sleep. I didn't want to talk to anyone. I was so sleep deprived right now that I was surprised I was even functioning properly.

"Can it wait?" I asked. "I'm so exhausted."

She shook her head and smiled. "I think that it's important."

I sighed, and spoke softly, being extremely careful not to disturb Aveline, who was still sitting quietly. "Alright, send them in."

The nurse pushed the door open and in walked a face I swore that I would never see again. His dark, curly hair was just as I had remembered it, but his eyes were dull and the wrinkles in his face had deepened in his pale skin. I knew it was him. I just had a hard time realizing it.

"… dad?" I whispered.

He took a shaky breath and stepped towards me. "Hey, Bells."

"W-what are you doing here?" I instinctively held Aveline closer to me as I stared up at my father, his brown eyes meeting mine.

"I'm here to see my granddaughter."

I narrowed my eyes. "You really think you have a right to come down here to see her? Let's not forget that you were the one who pushed us away. You abandoned us."

"Bella, please, listen to me." My father pleaded with me. He looked up at the ceiling as he continued on. "I've been thinking about everything… and… Bella… I'm just so sorry. I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you. I'm sorry for leaving you. I'm sorry for everything." He ranted. "You're right. I have no business here, and I understand if you tell me to leave right now and never come back. But, I… I came to set things right."

"What made you think that _now _was the time to do that?"

"We both know what it feels like to be abandoned by someone." My father looked at me knowingly. "I've been so hypocritical. What your mom did - "

"Don't you dare bring her into this."

"What your mom did hurt us both, and I'm not about to do that to you again!" He yelled. I turned away, refusing to listen to another word. He knew how sensitive I am when it came to my mother.

Nobody knows what went down with her. Not Edward, not any of my friends… just me and my dad.

"Why are you bringing this up now?" I whispered.

My father was silent for a moment. He looked up, as though trying to find his words, then back at me. "Because I'm a grandfather now, and it's my responsibility to make sure that she has her family in her life."

I looked down at my little Aveline - who looked back up at me with innocent, green eyes - holding back tears. The truth was, I _did_ want my dad in her life, just as much as I wanted her in his. It wouldn't be fair to banish her grandfather from her life. It would be selfish of me. I knew how it felt to abandoned by someone who loves and cares about you. I refused to let that happen to my baby. I took one last look at her and then met my father's gaze.

"Daddy, there's someone I want you to meet." I whispered. "This is Aveline."

He walked towards her hesitantly. I slowly lifted the blanket and watched as my dad reached forward and held my daughter for the first time.

"She looks just like you…"

I covered my mouth with my hand and cried. Months and months of hell came crashing down. A huge relief had been lifted off of my shoulders, and I couldn't help but cry. I couldn't do anything but that.

Everything was going exactly as I had hoped for. Maybe not as planned, and maybe not so perfect. But I could care less. Everyone was happy.

My dad didn't stay for long. He told me goodbye, and promised to call sometime soon. I smiled in agreement, though I still felt a bit weird talking to my dad after so long. Just as his hand reached for the doorknob, the door flung open, and Edward walked straight into him.

The world stood still.

"Uh, Chief Swan…" Edward stammered, finally speaking up.

"Edward." My dad said, clearing his throat. The two didn't say another word. My dad walked out of the room as if nothing had happened. Edward looked at me, raising one eyebrow.

"I have some explaining to do, don't I?"

"Yes, yes, you do." He chuckled and walked forward, holding up a clear, plastic bag with two Styrofoam boxes inside in one hand, and coffee in the other. "But… we can talk about it over a gourmet breakfast of the finest pastries from the best bakery in town."

I giggled. "And by 'the finest bakery in town' you mean the grocery store just down the street?"

He winked. "Of course."

Edward took Aveline from me and put her in the little crib they had rolled in for her. Once she was settled, I kicked the blanket off of my legs, and sat up, stretching my arms into the air. Edward sat at the bottom of the bed and handed me one of the boxed. I opened it and picked off a piece of the lemon cake. As we ate, and shared the plain black coffee, I explained what had happened with my dad.

"So that's why he didn't kill me when he saw me at the door." He joked.

I laughed and took a sip of the coffee that was almost gone now.

Edward moved our breakfast out of the way and leaned forward to kiss me. It was soft and quick, but meaningful. I opened my eyes and looked right at him, feeling happy that he was only inches away from me. He then picked up my left hand and kissed the top of it. His finger brushed against the promise ring on my hand and he whispered, "soon".

I scooted forward and wrapped my arms around his neck, and, in response, he wrapped his arms around my waist. The hug felt so different now that I didn't have a bulging stomach. He could finally hold me in his arms.

"Where's your family?" I asked as he continued to keep me in his arms.

"In the waiting room." He told me. "They're waiting for you to finish eating so they can come in. They decided on a middle name."

I pulled back from the hug and looked at him with exciting eyes. "Really?" When he nodded, I smiled as greatly as I could. "Bring them in!"

Edward was obviously amused with my sudden burst excitement. He smiled, ruffled my hair, and walked out of the room to get his family. I was nervous about the name that they had chosen. I was hoping for something unusual and unique, and I'm praying that they gave her something like that.

Seconds later, the entire family walked in. I put a finger to my lips, telling them to be quiet. They listened, and huddled around the bed. Edward stood by my side, holding my hand. Edward's parents stood at the foot of the bed. Rosalie was leaning against the mattress, with her arms crossed, Emmett by her side, while Alice and Jasper were on the other side of the bed.

"Hey guys."

"Good morning, Bella!" Esme greeted me. "How are you doing?"

I laughed. "A lot better."

I looked at everyone in the room, anxiously waiting for someone to speak up and tell me what they had named my baby.

Alice, of course, spoke up first. "It took a lot of thought. We knew that you wanted something different, and that's probably why it took so long… let's just say that there were a lot of Google searches!" Everyone laughed.

"We know that you guys liked the name Isla and Iris, but, it would be weird to give her two middle names." Rosalie said. She ran her hands through her blonde hair and continued. "Aveline means 'the wanted child', and I think that that fits for obvious reasons."

Edward squeezed my hand and I looked at him with bittersweet eyes. She really was the wanted child. We had been to hell and back to bring her into this world, but it was worth it. We knew what we wanted, and we fought her it. For her.

"Bella was talking about how a rainbow was symbolic to you guys… hence the name Iris." She went on to explain. "But the name Isla was too beautiful to leave out of the picture. So, we decided to combine them… Aveline Iria."

Iria. EYE-ree-uh.

It was the perfect combination of the two names that we had been so dead set on. It had the meaning we had wanted, the rarity, the beauty. It was so different that I loved it. I fell in love with the way that the names sounded together; Aveline Iria Cullen. I fell in love with how well it seemed to fit her. How it looked… how it was spelt… everything.

"I love it." I told them, shaking by head in disbelief. They had actually chosen a name that I had liked. Edward agreed with me, announcing that he thought it was a great choice.

This sent a happy vibe to everyone. More pictures were taken, and laughs and smiles echoed throughout the room. We were all untied as one. Not as a friends, or as people who liked to hang out with each other, but as brothers and sisters, and mothers and fathers.

We were a family, and nothing could tear us apart.

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><p><strong>THE END.<strong>

**Just kidding, there's an epilogue coming next.**

**And, I just think that it's good idea to tell everyone before I get a million questions about it… yes, there WILL BE a sequel! I've already told some of you who have asked, and I feel like more of you will be asking as well, so, there you go. It will be called "Life Makes Love Look Hard" (a continuation of the song lyrics). I'd love if you could give me some suggestions for it.**

**Anyway, sorry about this chapter. It wasn't my best. I'm just upset about my dog and it was hard to write the characters all happy when I'm kind of depressed. I tried, though! Please review? I could use some sort of positivity right now.. **

**Love you guys!**

**Xoxo,**

**Twilight37 **


	29. Epilogue

**Well… this is it. I really can't believe that this is the last chapter. *deep breaths* *tries not to cry* I just updated the other day, but, I didn't see any harm in posting the epilogue. This will be a very short chapter. It's just a final conclusion - until the sequel. ;)**

**Let's try and get to 400 reviews on this last chapter? **

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><p><em>Epilogue<em>

The sun was shining brightly on that Monday morning. It was unusual for the small town of Forks, but I didn't complain. I welcomed the rare sunshine with open arms. I was happy that it has blessed us, and of all days, especially today.

Receiving a clean bill of health from the doctors, I was finally allowed to leave the hospital with Edward, and my new daughter.

Edward wasn't in the room at the moment. He had left, politely excusing himself about twenty minutes ago, for an unknown reason. I didn't question him. I simply packed up the small bag that we had packed for our short hospital stay.

Aveline was in her car seat, that was sitting on the floor. She stared at me as I paced and forth throughout the room, packing this and that, not bothering to fold or organize it. Everything would be dumped out the second we got home.

She looked too adorable, and I still couldn't believe that she was mine. Since we had let Alice pick out her "going home" outfit, she had gone overboard, as Alice usually does. This is also something I would not complain about today. She wore a light pink, fleece onsie, with a matching hat that had a flower delicately placed on the top right. Covered with a blanket for warmth, she looked snug and happy.

I dressed comfortably, finally being able to wear clothes that weren't ten sizes too big. I was free to wear whatever I chose. Given that new freedom, I wore a comfortable pair of black leggings, fuzzy boots, and a long sleeved white sweater.

"Bella!" Edward called, running into the room. I jumped, not expecting his sudden appearance. He bounded up next to me, excitement filled in his eyes. My eyes widened, wondering what had gone on.

"What happened?"

"You're not going to believe this!"

"Believe what?"

He took a breath before explaining. "I left to go make sure that all of the papers were right, and sign off on things so that we could leave the hospital, when some of the nurses, and Dr. Askew came by - oh, she said congratulations by the way."

I nodded my head, making it obvious that I wanted him to continue.

"Anyway," He shook his head impatiently, "they told me that they were impressed with my medical knowledge, especially since I was still in high school, and they offered me a paid internship!"

My mouth fell open. "You're kidding me!"

"I'm not!"

So, looking for a job was something that he didn't have to do anymore. He had been asked to work in a hospital, which is where he had planned on working anyway. I asked him how much it paid, but he didn't he didn't know, and I didn't care. A job was a job. It was enough to get us on our feet.

"Oh my god, Edward! This is amazing!" I said, running over to him and wrapping my arms around his neck. He spun me around and I laughed, leaning my head back to look up at him. He smiled my favorite crooked smile and tucked my hair behind my ears, then kissed me.

"I love you." I whispered, so softly that I could barely hear myself speak.

"I love you too." He said, still smiling.

I rested my head against his chest, feeling happier than I had in a very long time. It felt like things were finally starting to go our way. My dad was back in my life, my boyfriend promised that he was going to marry me someday, and I had my baby not ten feet away from me.

I just don't see how it can get better than this.

While Edward called his family to tell them the great news, I packed what little we had left. There wasn't much to do, and I shouldn't have taken that long, but I took my time. I thought about the past nine months, reflecting everything that had happened.

Loosing Olivia, only to find out that she had a sister, who was here with us now. My dad leaving me. Edward getting a job, and moving into the guest house. Edward loosing his job, then moving back into the Cullen's. Morning sickness. Nightmares. Baby classes every Sunday morning. Meeting Violet. Having to deal with Lauren - then going to the little cabin and going into false labor. Lauren disappearing. Going into real labor, and finally having the baby. My dad coming back. Edward getting offered a paid internship.

"Bella, are you ready to go?" Edward - holding the car seat that we had picked out just months before, where Aveline was snuggle sitting - asked.

I looked around the room one last time. This was where our old life had ended. Where we had dropped our hellish nightmare and welcomed something better. Something capable of only purity and happiness.

"Yes." I finally said after a long moment, and smiled. "I'm ready."

No, this wasn't the end. We had been through so little, though it has seemed like so much. We had faced so many obstacles in our life; we had been judged, hated, and mistreated simply for following the goodness of our hearts. As much as I wanted to say it was the end, it wasn't. This was only the beginning of the long journey ahead of us.

And I was ready for that too.

_The End_

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><p><strong>Oh my god. This has been an amazing five months! Writing this story has just been fantastic. I love each and every one of you who have followed me through this. It means the world to me. Some of you have just been so kind (reviewing ever chapter, giving me suggestions, following me on twitter, talking to me), that I have your usernames memorized! Because of that, I felt the need to give you a shout out. <strong>

**Here is a huge thanks to: **_**VampireFreakXoxoxo, edwardcullenluvr17, aisforangel, .Fang, babybaby15, VampiresUnited, **_**and **_**FantasyRW14**_** for being so supportive! There are so many more of you that I can't exactly remember each and every one of you who reviewed, so I'm going to make a "thank you" video on my youtube channel. Also on my youtube channel there will be a "trailer" for the sequel to this story. My youtube is halleyandtaya13. If you have any questions regarding the sequel, ask in your review, and I'll be glad to post a "questions and answers" chapter. Outtakes will be posted on my blog.**

**I really don't even know what to say besides thank you! God. You guys are amazing. I really hope that you guys will follow more of my writing (especially this story, and the soon to be sequel). I'm at a loss for words, so I'm really just ranting right now. But… again… thank you for all of these reviews. I've never been so thankful in my life. I love you guys SO much.**

**See you soon. ;)**

**Xoxo,**

**Halley.**

**Twitter: halleybrown13  
>Tumblr: tellmeyourstoryilltellyoumin e  mystorymyrules**


	30. Sequel

**Hey guys! So, I just finished writing something that you might be interested in. I mean, it's just the sequel to this story, so if you wanted to check it out… it's posted and ready to read…**

**Just thought I'd let you know. ;)**

**Xoxo,**

**Twilight37**


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